Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in United Arab Emirates
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every zoo in United Arab Emirates that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Animal encounterPlaygroundGuided tour
Al Ain Zoo
Zoo in Al Ain
The zoo covers 50 hectares and counts 68 mammal, 88 bird and 35 reptile species.
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Animal encounterOvernight stayBehind-the-scenes tour
The Green Planet
Zoo in دبي
The attraction is a cube-shaped biodome of 60,000 square feet, built by Meraas in the City Walk extension on Al Wasl Road and opened in 2016. Inside, a man-made rainforest holds around 3,000 plants and animals, birds, reptiles and fish among them. The animals live in open settings but may not be handled.
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SeaWorld Abu Dhabi
Zoo & Aquarium in Abu Dhabi
It opened on 23 May 2023 on Yas Island and is billed as the only park of its kind in the region. It was built as five indoor levels over 183,000 square metres. It holds certification from American Humane's international welfare programme.
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Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR)
Zoo in Al Ain
Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR) is a zoo in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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Animal encounterRides and attractionsOn-site dining
Dubai Dolphinarium
Zoo in دبي
Dubai Municipality opened it on 21 May 2008, with government patronage and support, in Creek Park in Bur Dubai, close to Children's City. Its purpose was set as public entertainment together with education about dolphins, seals and other marine creatures, contact with such mammals being expected to spur younger people to protect marine life and the environment.
Our ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 5 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.