Our zoo is one of the best environmental, recreational, and educational destinations you can head to in the country. A destination to many families and visitors who wish to discover animals in habitats identical to their original homes.If you are looking for a great place to experience fun and adventure; Al Ain Zoo is definitely the destination to go! In its four-kilometer land area, the zoo is home to over 4,000 animals across 200 species. You are guaranteed to a unique recreational experience with an education flare.
Establishment
The zoo was established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1968. Our zoo is one of the most important and diverse tourism attractions on both local and global level.
As the largest zoo of its type in the Middle East, and for more than 50 years, our zoo has continued to convey the pioneering vision of the late Sheikh Zayed, demonstrating his keenness to preserve wildlife in the United Arab Emirates by preserving the environment and sustaining its resources in accordance with the best global standards.
Vision & Mission
Our zoo reflects the pioneering environmental vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his keenness to strengthen our affiliation to our country, and to enhance cultural, historical, and environmental heritage.
The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan linked the concept of heritage to the unique relationship between the Emirati people and their land. Thus in preserving the environment, the legacy of our ancestors is preserved.
We aim to achieve this vision by hosting many different types of animals, providing them with an environment that guarantees their survival, preserving them and populating them. The zoo provides a chance to see some endangered species preserved and taken care of within habitats similar to their own, as well as a chance to even interact with them. In addition to having a fun adventure, the zoo provides an educational experience on the importance of finding a safe haven for those species. We also provide support to the academic community (schools and universities), we take on a pioneering role of increasing awareness on rescuing those species and caring for them.
Vision
A world in harmony with wildlife
Mission
Deliver to wildlife conservation through research, animal welfare, awareness, and positive behavior towards biodiversity
Value
- Teamwork
- Enabling
- Accountability & Initiative
- Sustainability
- Professionalism
Initiatives
The Father of our nation, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, established many effective environmental organizations and initiatives, which specialize in preserving the country’s arid wildlife. This struck a balance between our heritage and the unprecedented developmental pace of our nation.
Our zoo collaborates with those organizations; such as the Emirates-Wildlife Society, and Masdar initiative for clean energy, which works on developing sustainable urban planning, and aims to build environmentally-friendly establishments that do not produce waste.
Our creative Emirati staff continuously develops programs and research related to conserving our country’s arid wildlife and its main features, with a focus on enhancing the cultural and educational aspect; giving you -our visitor- a unique experience at our zoo.
Foundations
Al Ain Zoo’s main focus is conserving arid wildlife, managing it, and preserving it by integrating the three foundations of the Zoo:
- Enhance efforts to preserve the environment by protecting its resources, applying the latest programs and strategies to sustain resources, protecting endangered animals and plants, and increasing their numbers to save them from extinction.
- Provide tours, services, and comprehensive entertainment facilities to create a unique experience for our visitors. All our facilities are equipped to provide you with a great enjoyable experience.
Raise awareness on the importance of preserving our environmental culture and sustaining it as well as support educational institutions to ultimately enhance the environmental cultural experience. We allow our student visitors to enjoy learning about environmental lifestyles in their most realistic form.
Excellence
Al Ain Zoo is the first Emirati organization to work on protecting endangered species (such as the Dama Gazelle, the Brown Capuchin, and the Arabian Sand Cat); a true pioneer in preserving the environment.
We are proud to present the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. We aim to protect natural environments, increase the number of wildlife animals in those environments, and focus on reversing the reduction in endangered population numbers. We consider that all life forms enrich our planet, they are a main component to guaranteeing a promising future for us and our children.
Following the footsteps of his father, under the patronage of H.H Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Al Ain Zoo was developed by nationals – a truly authentic national project – to become the largest zoo in the Middle East.
We are honored to receive the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Award for Excellence in the tourism sector, which is a tribute to the creative initiatives and the outstanding efforts we make in our continuous endeavor to develop and provide the best possible experience to our visitors.
Our staff
Our professional Emirati guides, excellent cadre, and passionate staff work tirelessly to provide you with the most exciting adventures while exploring our homeland’s beautiful environment. They are also welcome to receiving and answering all your questions regarding our zoo.
They are an exemplary balance between the past and the future, so we invite you to enjoy the hospitality of the UAE and keep abreast of everything new in the wild through a world-class experience.
Continuous Development
At Al Ain Zoo, we strive to make your every visit a joyful experience, and thus we work round-the-clock to develop our zoo. Since the zoo’s establishment, we have been working on presenting diverse and unique ideas, be it through launching creative initiatives like “walking for the environment” or through hosting schools and institutions for children with special needs, or even holding the festival of lights, in addition to many more events and initiatives.
Moreover, we work continuously to increase the number of our tours and diversify them, while also expanding the attractions that you can enjoy at our zoo. We care to always provide the best service to our visitors of all different segments and ages.