Khaleej Times has done it again. Barely one month after scooping two awards at the prestigious World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) Middle East Conference in Dubai, it has now picked up two top prizes at the Global Village Media Awards for Season 22.

Taking gold in the ‘Best Media Coverage in English’ category, several members of the Khaleej Times team accepted the award on behalf of the newspaper, which just turned 40 this month.

A unique trophy depicting a miniature Global Village was presented on stage by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and President of the National Olympic Committee.

In its second win for the day, Khaleej Times photographer Neeraj Murali also won the top prize in the category dedicated to ‘Best Social Media Coverage’.

Global Village, the region’s first multicultural festival park and family destination for culture, shopping and entertainment, concluded its 22nd season on April 7, 2018.

Themed ‘Come, Experience the World,’ Season 22 saw financial transactions worth Dh2.9 billion and hosted more than 10,000 exhibitors from more than 75 countries through the 27 pavilions.

Hosting more than six million visitors, it has been noted as one of the most successful season yet.

During the prestigious awarding ceremony on Monday, Bader Anwahi, chief executive officer of Global Village took the opportunity to announce the dates of the upcoming 23rd season, which will commence on October 30, 2018, and continue for 159 days until April 6, 2019.

“We are delighted with the success of the 22nd season, which is a result of all the efforts from our strategic partners from the government authorities, media agencies and our partners from the investors. We are proud of what we’ve collectively achieved in establishing the Global Village as a pioneering UAE brand and are excited to launch a new season in our drive to compete on a global level to be among the best entertainment and family destinations in the world, in line with the nation’s vision and leadership objectives,” he said.

During the ceremony, the Africa pavilion received the ‘Best Pavilion’ award for its unique cultural and entertainment experiences that attracted millions of guests. The Iran pavilion won the award for the ‘Best Pavilion Façade’ for showcasing the nation’s rich cultural heritage. The Morocco pavilion won ‘Best Handicrafts’ award while the Indian Pavilion won the ‘Best Cultural Show’ award.

The popular Cheese Wheel Pasta kiosk won the ‘Best Kiosk’ award, while restaurant Bosnian Kebab won the ‘Best Restaurant’ award for serving the most delectable kebabs that was appreciated by all ages.

The ceremony began with a video that showcased the highlights of the 22nd season, which was followed by honouring key government authorities which included; the Dubai Police, the Dubai Municipality and the Dubai Civil Defence.