Dubai: Dubai Safari will admit only families for three days starting from Friday, it was announced on Thursday evening. It has also been confirmed that the free entry to the new wildlife project will be until December 26.
Dubai Safari made these announcements through its social media channels. “You asked and we listened! We are excited to announce that this Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be for families only,” said its post on social media on Thursday evening.
In reply to one of the residents’ question, Dubai Safari also confirmed that visitors will not be able to enjoy the free entry offer from December 27.
As reported first by Gulf News, the free entry for two weeks to the new animal world was announced by Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality, during the soft launch of the Dh1b project on Tuesday.
The municipality had allowed residents and tourists who turned up at the park on that day to enter free of charge.
Following the announcement, thousands of residents had thronged the wildlife park, sprawling across 119hecatares on the first day after the soft launch.
Gulf News had reported that more than 10,000 visitors poured in to the Safari Park in Al Warqa 5 on Wednesday, causing major traffic pileup tailing back to the main road.
14,000 guests in two days
On Thursday, Dubai Safari officially confirmed that it attracted a whopping 14,000 visitors in the first two days. While 10,000 guests were received on second day of its soft opening, the park welcomed 4,000 visitors on the day of soft launch.
The visitors included school children, residents of all ages and nationalities, as well as members of the local media community and invited guests.
Khaled Al Suwaidi, director of Leisure Facilities at Dubai Municipality stated in a press release that the Safari Park is fully equipped to host a larger crowd during the weekend.
“Dubai Safari has been one of the most awaited attractions of the year, so we understand the huge anticipation around the project’s opening. We are deeply overwhelmed by the response we are receiving following the park’s soft opening, and are fully equipped to host a larger crowd during the weekend,” he said.
“The teams at Dubai Municipality and Dubai Safari have worked hard to deliver a world-class wildlife project that promises to be a welcome new addition to Dubai’s growing array of family-friendly attractions.”
As well as providing a unique edutainment experience for visitors of all ages, he pointed out that objective of Dubai Safari is to set an example in wildlife conservation and protection efforts.
“Constructed in a former landfill for construction waste site, the eco-friendly park also represents a major landmark project by Dubai Municipality, highlighting the city’s continuous efforts to build a sustainable future,” he added.
During the two weeks of free entry, the park is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Following the project’s official launch, which is expected to take place by January, guests can visit the park daily from 9am to 9pm including all public holidays.
Home to over 2500 animals from 250 species, Dubai Safari is located in Al Warqa 5 district across Dragon Mart off the Dubai-Hatta Highway.
