Dubai Safari Park, Wildlife park in Al Warqa 5, United Arab Emirates.
Dubai Safari Park is a wildlife park in Al Warqa 5, Dubai, covering 12.8 million square feet and home to around 3,000 animals from 78 mammal species, 50 reptiles and 111 birds. It is divided into five areas: African Village, Explorer Village, Asian Village, Arabian Desert Safari and Al Wadi.
Dubai Safari Park opened on 12 December 2017, replacing the Dubai Zoo on its 50th anniversary; the old zoo held about 1,000 animals in cramped cages. Dubai Municipality allocated $40.8 million to the project, given to Meraas with Parques Reunidos as operator. The park closed for renovations in May 2018, reopened in October 2020, and after a summer 2024 closure reopened in September 2024 with over 300 births recorded.
Animals live in enclosures that mirror their native environments, with plantings and terrain shaped to reflect their home regions. Visitors walk through recreated landscapes and can see how different species interact with these designed habitats.
The grounds are open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM, with the last entry at 4:30 PM. Visitors should plan several hours to explore the different zones and allow time for breaks.
The park replaced Dubai Zoo on the zoo's 50th anniversary, taking over a collection of about 1,000 animals. Its roughly 12.8 million square feet were funded with $40.8 million, with Meraas as main shareholder and Parques Reunidos as operation manager.
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