Dubai Safari Park project set for 2016 completion and opening

Dubai Safari, the United Arab Emirate's long-awaited new wildlife attraction, is 30% complete and expected to open in the third quarter of 2016.

Set to replace the existing decades-old Dubai Zoo, the massive Dh1 billion (US$270 million) project will cover 119 hectares of land and will accommodate 1,000 animals.

Developed by the Dubai Municipality, the project was first announced in 2009, then halted until 2012 and then revised many times.

Dubai Safari aims to become a world standard for wildlife habitat and has been designed to provide a variety of conditions to suit different animals, using modern interactive methods in animal control and wildlife. They will be taken care of by specialist veterinarians inside the park.

Located on a former landfill site, Dubai Safari will use solar energy to generate electricity to run the irrigation system, official vehicles on site, and recreational facilities. The park will also recycle water and use treated water for irrigation.

Visitors will be able to move among a variety of animals while riding air-conditioned jeeps over an hour-long tour. This will give the guests a chance to come up close to the park’s animals and get to see how they react in their environment.

Visitors will also be able to go through an exceptional experience by visiting a dark cave designed to display nocturnal animals by using 3D techniques.

A safari trip on the back of an Asian elephant will also be available for guests.

The park’s site was the subject of an intensive study in the planning phase. Specialised technical committees were formed to select animals and distribute them to their allocated places according to the nature of the geographical distribution.

7th May 2014 - DUBAI STATES AMBITION TO BECOME WORLD’S MOST VISITED CITY