Dubai Safari Park has kicked off its eighth season under the banner "Live More Wild Life," reopening today, October 12, with a Wildest Opening Week running through October 18 to coincide with the school mid-term break. The new season puts conservation at the centre of the park's programming.
Spread across 119 hectares in Al Warqa, on Al Aweer Road opposite Dragon Mart, the park is now home to more than 3,000 animals representing some 300 species, arranged across six zones: African Village, Asian Village, Explorer Village, Arabian Desert, Kids Farm and Al Wadi. Among its best-known residents are matriarch elephant Zulu, a pride of white lions, alpha male baboon Pogi, a troop of chimpanzees, gorilla Digit and a group of hippos.
Entry for visitors aged three and above costs Dh50 under the Safari Park Pass, which covers access to every zone, the Arabian Desert Safari, live shows, workshops and an animal encounter, plus free parking. A Safari Bundle upgrade adds the Explorer Safari experience and unlimited rides on the park's shuttle train.
New for this season is the Royal Safari Experience, a private four-hour tour for groups of up to 10 people, alongside the Little Explorers' Base Camp, which offers face painting, craft-making and other activities for younger visitors. The park has also secured accreditation from both the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, formal recognition of its animal-welfare and conservation standards.