Dubai Safari Park reopens after 33 month refurbishment

Dubai's Safari Park has this week reopened to the public after an expansion that has taken more than two and a half years.

The 119-hectare attraction, which is built on the site of a former waste site in the eastern desert region of Dubai, first opened its gates to the public in December 2017, but abruptly closed five months later for "park improvements".

Home to almost 3,000 animals, the addition of a variety of new species and plants and a shift in management prior to the reopening is seen as a positive step for the United Arab Emirates hard-hit tourism sector amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Dubai Safari Park Operations Director, Muna Alhajeri advised that the displays “include rare animals that are present for the first time in the United Arab Emirates," with species including the African Elephant, the Asian black bear (moon bear) and the African bongo antelope.

Alhajeri told AFP “the site was converted from a solid waste dump to a tourist, entertainment and cultural destination” adding that since the construction of the park with pools of water, wild birds have also been attracted to the site.

"The place was built in a way to properly accommodate such natural wildlife.”.

Dubai, which has the most diversified economy in oil-rich Arabian Gulf region, has been badly hit by the Coronavirus slowdown with its GDP contracting 3.5% in the first quarter, following two years of modest growth.

Tourism has long been a mainstay of the Emirate, which welcomed more than 16 million visitors last year.

Before the Coronavirus pandemic crippled global travel, the aim was to reach 20 million this year.

Images courtesy of the Dubai Safari Park.