The Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre is an important educational facility combining knowledge and learning through interactive exhibits, multimedia and visual materials that are specially designed for this centre by world-class experts and specialists. The UAE cultural guides that have been trained over the past years to provide a unique experience for visitors are one of the most important components of this experience to ensure providing a true picture of the of the United Arab Emirates natural environment.
The centre consists of five interactive galleries: Sheikh Zayed Tribute Hall, Abu Dhabi Desert over Time, Abu Dhabi’s Living World, People of the Desert and Looking to the Future. During the tour, visitors will move on a journey through time as stories and movies take them to the past, present and future of the UAE, to reconsider their relationship with the environment and encourage them to communicate with it and to adopt more sustainable lifestyles.
The Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre is the first building in the United Arab Emirates to earn a rating of five pearls in sustainability accreditation at the Design & Construction stage, where the application of exacting standards set by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. The centre also received a LEED Platinum certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
General Information:
- SZDLC admission is included in the Entertainer ticket.
- All SZDLC facilities support wheelchair access.
- You can visit SZDLC Research Centre by advance reservation.
- The SZDLC theatre can be booked for corporate events or your meetings via email reservation SZDLC.booking@alainzoo.ae
Latest News
Al Ain Zoo launches a dynamic new experience for website visitors that takes them on a fascinating journey through the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, with three unique audio tours through the popular “Our Heritage, Our Identity”, “Zayed’s Footsteps”, and “Art of Architecture” tours.
Speaking on the launch, Muneera Jasem Al Housani, Director Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre at Al Ain Zoo, said: “We are keen to provide our visitors with constantly renewed and upgraded experiences, meeting the expectations of our visitors and offering them a wide array of services, while committing ourselves to COVID-19 safety procedures and applying social distancing by making our audio tours available via our website at www.alainzoo.ae.”
The new audio tours section on the Zoo’s website will take browsers on a trip on memory lane to the past, or give them look onto the present and imagined future, and also allows the sharing of tours with friends and family with the ability to listen to the tour information while touring the centre itself, without having to accompany a tour guide.
Al Housani added: “The tours are not only entertaining, they are also an important reference for anyone who would like to learn more about the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, as the tours include a substantial amount of facts and details about the city in a way that combines education with entertainment, giving a factual recount about the ancestral struggles through the desert and on the sea during different stages of Abu Dhabi’s life, looking into their meaning and outcomes, dreams and aspirations for the future.”
Three audio tours will be available on the website, all executed entirely by the talents and creativity of the Zoo staff. The “Art of Architecture” tour takes visitors on an audio journey to learn about architectural art in its finest form and the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s dream of a global sustainable masterpiece embodied by the building of the award-winning Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre itself.
The second tour takes them to “Our Heritage, Our Identity”, a trip through the vivid history and interesting heritage of the UAE and the values instilled by Sheikh Zayed, the nation’s founding father.
The third tour, called “Zayed’s Footsteps”, acquaints visitors with the life of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, and what life used to be like in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi through five memorable exhibits, the Sheikh Zayed Tribute Hall, Abu Dhabi Desert Over Time, Abu Dhabi Living World, People of the Desert and Looking to the Future.
