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A herd of Arabian oryx mark the entrance to the UAE World Desert – an exploration of the UAE’s wild landscapes, plants and animals. Ghaf woodlands and grasslands provide a habitat for Arabian oryx, gazelles and Houbara bustards. The Arabian oryx became extinct in the wild in the UAE and is being bred at the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR) to be released to run wild through the dunes and plains of the UAE. The Houbara bustard conservation program of the UAE is a successful example of partnership between hunters and conservationists. The birds on display here were bred at the National Avian Research Centre.
Nested in the ghaf groves and rocks of the UAE landscape is the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre – a new world-class museum. Dedicated to the memory and legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed, this museum shows the natural history and cultural heritage of the UAE and explores how society can live sustainably in the desert.
Adjacent to the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre is a large restaurant and the Abu Dhabi Gardens – a display garden showing how the native plants of the UAE can be used in gardens and landscapes. Additionally, guests can enjoy exhibits of sand gazelles and Arabian tahrs – two highly endangered species – and an exhibition of antelopes from the Sahara desert illustrating the AWPR’s international conservation activities. Antelopes bred at the AWPR are being reintroduced into nature reserves in Tunisia and Niger.
The path leads upslope between wolves, tahrs and gazelles to return downslope back to a ghaf grove near the building; and to a fork in the trail you can choose to view an exhibit of greater flamingo. The wild flamingos of the UAE are a nomadic species that regularly fly to habitats in Iran and central Asia.
From the Flamingo Exhibit paths lead through to the Oasis Gardens with their spectacular gardens of desert palms, cacti and succulents and flowering trees. On their right is a Children’s Discovery Area. The children there are so preoccupied with new discoveries of desert life that they linger before proceeding to several other exhibits that encircle the east and south side of the Oasis Gardens. You will note that there is a larger restaurant at the far end of the oasis where you may choose to return for dinner later in the evening.
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