By Razmig Bedirian — thenationalnews.com — Nancy Ajram will perform at Global Village next month. The Lebanese singer, known for her hits including Akhasmak Ah and Aah w Noss, will be taking to the Global Village Main Stage at 9pm on December 12. Ajram is an influential force in the Arab music industry and has previously been named as one of the top female Arab artists by Forbes. In 2009, she was selected by Unicef as the first female regional ambassador for the Mena region. Between 2013 and 2017, she served as a judge on MBC’s reality talent show Arab Idol. She also began serving as a coach on The Voice Kids: Ahla Sawt in 2016. This year, she collaborated with Marshmello on the single Sah Sah, proving her music has global reach. Ajram is the second Arab superstar to be billed for this year’s event. Myriam Fares, the Arab “Queen of the Stage”, performed at the venue this month.

Global Village opened for its 27th season on October 25 and will be running until April. Last season, the family-friendly attraction in Dubai welcomed a record 7.8 million visitors during the six months it was operational. The venue is famous for its pavilions, each themed according to a different nation or culture. This year, 27 pavilions representing more than 80 cultures are featured. More than 400 performers from around the world will be part of the event’s entertainment line-up. This includes more than 200 performances each night, such as Puttin’ on the Glitz, which brings jazz music to the theme park.

London Calling takes music-lovers through nostalgic songs, from 1960s classics and punk rock to the top tunes of today. Filipino troupe Urban Crew, who competed on the latest season of America’s Got Talent, will return to Global Village to showcase their acrobatic skills all season. How DJ and NWA co-founder Arabian Prince is helping Saudi Arabia’s music scene flourish Another international ensemble back by popular demand is Colombian Aaijaa, a group of young percussionists setting the beat for the evenings, while Global Village favourites making a return this year include The Wonderers — Ozka, Waleef and Zoya, who bring a new production to the Kids Theatre called The Mystery of the Golden Rock.

Throughout the years, Global Village has attracted several big-name acts to its main stage, including American singer-songwriter Jason Derulo, former One Direction member Liam Payne and Pakistani pop star Atif Aslam. Ajram’s concert is free for all Global Village entry ticket holders with a dedicated area for families and ladies. For entry on Sunday to Thursday, tickets are Dh18 online and Dh20 at the gate. For all other days, it’s Dh22.5 online and Dh25 at the gate. Entry is free for children under the age of three and senior citizens aged 65 and above, as well as people of determination.