Festival hosts ‘Rare Species Reserve’

The Sheikh Zayed Festival offers an entertainment experience with educational and awareness objectives aimed at preserving the environment and endangered species, allowing visitors to observe rare animals and plants up close in an effort to support awareness of sustainable environmental practices.

The festival is hosting the “Rare Species Reserve” as part of the participating pavilions for the third season, which houses rare and endangered animals, alongside “Al Wathba Jurassic,” a park featuring robotic dinosaurs imported from a global film studio.

Jamal Al Balushi, owner of both the reserve and the park, affirmed that his participation in the festival comes within the context of social responsibility to contribute to raising awareness about the importance of environmental sustainability and to encourage all segments of society, especially the younger generation, to help conserve natural resources and protect endangered living creatures.

He explained that the idea of establishing the “Rare Species Reserve” is based on being both an educational and entertainment model, especially as it houses creatures from the strangest and rarest species, some of which have only a single specimen in the world.

Al Balushi also pointed out that the reserve offers a variety of activities such as horseback riding and the “Sound of Nature” pavilion, which includes several domesticated species coexisting in one area, where children can learn how to feed and care for animals according to guidelines and under the supervision of an accompanying trainer.

The Global Restaurants Corner in “Al Wathba Courtyard” is one of the festival’s key attractions this year, bringing together a wide range of Asian, local, Arabic, European, and international cuisines under one roof.

The area features a curated selection of fine restaurants and cafés offering an array of dishes, including classic Italian specialties, Asian street food, oriental grills, traditional Emirati dishes, and international desserts.

WAM