Arabia's Wildlife Centre

Arabia's Wildlife Centre is located 30 km from the center of Sharjah and 55 km from the center of Dubai.

It's a large zoo where leopards, cheetahs, several species of monkeys, reptiles, and birds live in conditions close to their natural habitat. There is a large terrarium and a petting farm on the grounds. At the Centre you can see almost all the animals that live on the Arabian Peninsula.

You can touch the farm animals, which kids love, while dangerous animals are separated from visitors by glass — safe, and it still lets you get a good look and take photos.

There is also a small Botanical Garden and museum dedicated to the flora and fauna of the United Arab Emirates on the grounds.

The whole centre is indoors, so it's a perfect place to visit on a cloudy day, when the beach isn't an option but you still want to do something.

Kids especially love the Centre, because here they can feed the animals themselves and watch the wild animals being fed, ride a pony, smell the flowers, eat ice cream, and play on the playground.

Opening hours and admission

The Centre is open Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 9:00 to 17:30, Thursday from 11:00 to 17:30, and Friday from 14:00 to 17:30. Tuesday is a day off.

Admission is AED 15 (≈$4) for adults and AED 5 for children over 12, with kids under 12 admitted free. The same ticket also covers the park's other three attractions — the Natural History Museum, the Children's Farm, and the Islamic Botanical Garden.

How to get to the Wildlife Centre from Sharjah or Dubai

Unfortunately, public transport doesn't go to the Centre, so there are two options: a taxi or a rental car.

A taxi ride from central Sharjah to the Wildlife Centre will cost you $15-17 one way.

A rental car will cost $30 for one day and $55 for two days. If you're planning to see other sights too, or take a trip to Dubai, renting a car works out cheaper.

Attraction photo: