Dubai: Dubai will soon be home to about 100 crocodiles as it adds another first to its list and plans to come up with a sophisticated ‘Dubai Crocodile Park’.
The project entails an estimated investment of about $8 million to $10 million.
Expected to come up near the planned Dubai Safari in Mushriff area the park would be spread over 25,000 square metres of area and house Nile crocodiles.
The authorities are targeting to complete the project by 2013.
“We are holding discussions with the investors and once that is done, the park would take about nine to eleven months to come up. Apart from attracting tourists, the park would be an educational destination where people will be able to see how crocodiles live,” Faisal Jumaa Al Badaiwi, Head of Investment Unit of Assets Management Department, told Gulf News.
As of now, discussions are on with investors which include a local and a French investor.
“We are discussing the details with a French company that is already handling three crocodile parks. The design is yet to be finalised,” added Al Badaiwi.
Abdulla Rafia, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality said the civic body has assigned a team from the investment section to study the best practices of the world in establishing specially designed parks for crocodiles in France, Tunisia and Belgium.
‘‘The Municipality seeks to build a new world tourist attraction in the emirate of Dubai through the partnership with the foreign investors to establish the crocodile park project in the event of positive results of the study,’ Khalifa said.
