Look: Inside Abu Dhabi's National Aquarium, largest in the Middle East

If you love nature and wildlife, you cannot afford to miss visiting The National Aquarium in Abu Dhabi. The facility, which opened to visitors last week, is home to 46,000 creatures from 330 species, including some commonly not seen in this region, such as puffins, bull sharks and capybaras.

A visitor and her son take a closer look at clownfish in their tank at the National Aquarium Abu Dhabi.

Whether it is helping rehabilitate turtles, ensuring steps for houbara conservation, providing natural habitats for birds or offering large, open spaces for a wide variety of wild animals to roam around freely in sprawling zoos, the UAE has always accorded a very high priority to conserving and protecting wildlife. The National Aquarium is yet another affirmation of the country’s commitment to let nature and its creations flourish in myriads of ways.

The underwater tunnel under the tank of the Bu Tinah Island zone. One can spy sharks, other fish and even a deep-sea diver or two at the National Aquarium Abu Dhabi, the new attraction and biggest aquarium in the Middle East opened for the public on 12th November 2021.

A spider crab climbs alongside the glass of its display case.

An aquarium worker feeds the friendly capybaras. The giant rodents are housed in the aquarium’s dedicated rainforest zone, the Flooded Forest at the National Aquarium Abu Dhabi.

Children form a mock volcano as part of an interactive projection that shows how islands are formed at the National Aquarium Abu Dhabi.

A depiction of traditional Emirati pearl divers in their traditional suit and gear.

A squirrel monkey enjoys its lunch at an enclosure in the dedicated rainforest zone.

A blue shark circles its tank.

Transparent jellyfish swarm around in their tank, reflecting the lighting around them in a mesmerising sight at the National Aquarium Abu Dhabi.

The aquarium area is separated into ten distinct zones, each different in its ambience and content.

The world's largest snake, in captivity, can be seen at The National Aquarium in Abu Dhabi.

The attraction has 10 zones that house the animals and each is specifically themed. The zones are: UAE’s Natural Treasures; Red Sea Wreck; Atlantic Cave; The Sub; Ring of Fire; Ocean Magic; Frozen Ocean; Flooded Forest; Bu Tinah Island and Back of House; and all of them tell a narrative.

Each zone contains creatures that tie in with the theme.

The goal was to build an aquarium that represents the UAE’s heritage, and reflects the strong bond between its people and its wildlife, Paul Hamilton, general manager and project manager at The National Aquarium.

“The people of the UAE and their livelihoods have always been so closely linked to the flora and fauna of the land, with to the sea. We wanted to make sure that this attachment was mirrored at the aquarium,” Hamilton said.

The National Aquarium is located in the Al Qana area, close to Al Maqtaa. The hub will soon house a cinema, restaurants, cafes, gaming zones and other facilities.