Dubai Municipality will build a new Dh610 million zoo on 560 hectares of land behind Al Mushrif Park, said a top municipality official.

Abdurrahman Al Sharid, Director of General Projects Department at the municipality, said: "Construction should start by the end of this year or by the beginning of 2004 and is expected to be completed in three to four years. We have recently given contracts to design the project.

"The first phase will cost Dh200 million. The new Dubai Zoo has the potential to become a landmark attraction for visitors. It will serve as a major tourism and visitor education centre in the UAE. This will be enhanced by present trends towards eco-tourism and biodiversity conservation.

"Certain goals have been identified for the new zoo, such as increasing visitor appreciation, awareness and enjoyment of the Arabian Peninsula's flora and fauna and cultural heritage."

It will also provide educational opportunities for residents and visitors through comprehensive displays, and provide a veterinary care centre for the zoo as well as local privately owned animals.

Al Sharid said it will include a Core, or Open Zoo, which will consist of six major habitats: Sub-Saharan Africa, Arabian Desert, a Wadi (desert valley), Arabian Coastal Desert, Asian Temperate Forest, and Himalayan Hillside.

"These habitat zones will remain the core theme of the Dubai Zoo and Safari," he pointed out.

The project also includes a Wildlife Safari, a Bedouin Tented Camp (Camel Safari), Night Safari, Biodiversity Museum, Captive Breeding and Conservation Cen-tre, Birds of Prey Show and the Veterinary Centre.

The design of the zoo will be modern and state-of-the -art, rivalling the best around the world such as the Singapore zoo and the San Diego zoo in the U.S.