Arabia’s Wildlife Centre: Hours, Tickets & What’s Inside
Arabia’s Wildlife Centre is closed every Tuesday, and on Fridays it does not open until 2:00 PM. Those two details matter most when planning, so check your day before you drive out.
The centre sits inside Sharjah Desert Park, about 30 km east of Sharjah city. It is a fully indoor, air-conditioned wildlife house, so a visit works in July as well as in January.
An adult ticket costs AED 21, children under 12 enter free, and the same ticket covers the park’s other three venues. The sections below cover hours by day, what each part of the centre holds, how to get there and how long to allow.
Arabia’s Wildlife Centre quick details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Sharjah Desert Park, Interchange 9, Al Dhaid Road (E88) |
| Distance | About 30 km east of Sharjah city |
| Weekly closure | Tuesday |
| Adult ticket | AED 21 including VAT |
| Children | Under 12 free |
| Collection | Over 100 species native to the Arabian Peninsula |
| Setting | Fully indoor and air-conditioned |
| Same ticket also covers | Natural History & Botanical Museum, Islamic Botanical Garden, Children’s Farm |
| Time needed | About 3 hours for the centre, 4 to 5 hours for the whole park |
Opening hours
| Day | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 11:00 AM | 6:00 PM |
| Monday | 9:00 AM | 6:00 PM |
| Tuesday | Closed | Closed |
| Wednesday | 9:00 AM | 6:00 PM |
| Thursday | 9:00 AM | 6:00 PM |
| Friday | 2:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| Saturday | 11:00 AM | 6:00 PM |
Ticket sales stop at 5:30 PM. On a Friday that leaves under four hours, which is enough for the wildlife centre but not for the whole park.
Weekday mornings, shortly after the 9:00 AM opening, are the quietest time to walk the galleries.
Ticket price
An adult ticket is AED 21 including VAT, and children under 12 pay nothing. Tickets are sold at the entrance, and cash is the safest way to pay.
One ticket also opens the Natural History & Botanical Museum, the Islamic Botanical Garden and the Children’s Farm, so there is nothing extra to buy once you are through the gate.
What you can see inside
The centre arranges its collection by animal group: reptiles, invertebrates, birds, nocturnal animals, hoofed animals and large carnivores. Each group has its own indoor section, and the whole collection is limited to species that live, or once lived, on the Arabian Peninsula.
Large carnivores & primates
The Arabian leopard is the centre’s best-known resident and the animal most visitors come to see. Striped hyenas, Arabian wolves, baboons and smaller cats such as caracals and sand cats are also on display.
Hoofed animals
The Arabian oryx, the UAE’s national animal, is the centrepiece here, alongside mountain gazelles and Nubian ibex. Herds of oryx and gazelles also graze outside the building and can be watched from the cafeteria, which has a floor-to-ceiling glass wall facing their paddock.
Reptiles & the nocturnal house
The reptile section holds indigenous vipers, skinks, geckos and lizards. The nocturnal house runs a reversed day and night cycle, so night-active desert animals are awake while you walk through.
Birds
A walk-through aviary houses native resident and migratory birds, including flamingos, herons and bustards.
Many of the animals on display come from the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife in the same park. That facility is for research and breeding only and is closed to visitors.
How to get there
The centre is at Interchange 9 on Al Dhaid Road (E88), about 30 km east of Sharjah city. From Dubai the drive takes roughly 40 to 50 minutes, depending on traffic.
Drop the Google Maps pin into your navigation app before you leave and follow it to Interchange 9. Parking is next to the entrance, with accessible bays close to the main door.
Public transport to the park is limited, so most visitors drive or take a taxi. Al Dhaid Road is also the main route into Sharjah’s Central Region, and the town of Al Dhaid lies further along the same road.
Rules & accessibility
Visitor rules
- No pets
- No outside food or drink
- No flash photography
- No loud noises and no tapping on the glass viewing windows
- Modest, respectful clothing
Accessibility
The galleries are flat or ramped, so wheelchairs and strollers move through without difficulty. Accessible restrooms are on site, and the accessible parking sits near the main entrance.
Is it good for kids?
Yes. Children under 12 enter free, the building is cooled, and the Children’s Farm next door has a petting zoo on the same ticket. The cafeteria glass wall over the oryx paddock gives younger children a place to sit and watch without moving on.
The limit is the collection itself. Everything on show is Arabian, so children expecting African animals such as giraffes or elephants will not find them.
Other venues on the same ticket
- Natural History & Botanical Museum: fossils, animal displays and natural history exhibits.
- Islamic Botanical Garden: the first garden of its kind in the Middle East, planted with species mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah.
- Children’s Farm: indoor and outdoor areas where children handle farm animals under a guide’s supervision.
The museum and the wildlife centre are both indoors. The garden and the farm have outdoor sections, so they are more comfortable in the morning or in the cooler months.
Best time to visit
The wildlife centre is climate-controlled, so it suits any month. November to March is the best stretch if you plan to add the botanical garden and the Children’s Farm, because the outdoor walking is pleasant rather than hot.
Arrive at opening on a weekday for the thinnest crowds. Weekends are busier, particularly in the afternoon, and the later weekend openings (11:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday, 2:00 PM on Friday) put everyone into the same hours.
FAQ
How much is the ticket for Arabia’s Wildlife Centre?
Adults pay AED 21 including VAT, and children under 12 enter free. The ticket also covers the Natural History & Botanical Museum, the Islamic Botanical Garden and the Children’s Farm.
Is Arabia’s Wildlife Centre open on Friday?
Yes, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Tuesday is the only full closing day.
Is Arabia’s Wildlife Centre indoors?
Yes. The animal sections are fully indoor and air-conditioned. The oryx and gazelle herds seen from the cafeteria, the botanical garden and parts of the Children’s Farm are outdoors.
Is Arabia’s Wildlife Centre the same as Sharjah Desert Park?
No. The wildlife centre is one venue inside Sharjah Desert Park, and one ticket covers it along with the museum, the botanical garden and the Children’s Farm.
Can you eat at Arabia’s Wildlife Centre?
There is a cafeteria with a glass wall overlooking the oryx and gazelle herds. Outside food is not allowed.
Next steps
- Pick any day except Tuesday, and a weekday morning if you want quiet galleries.
- Save the Google Maps pin and aim for Interchange 9 on Al Dhaid Road.
- Carry AED 21 per adult in cash, plus a little extra for the cafeteria.
- Allow about 3 hours for the centre, or 4 to 5 hours if you add the other three venues.
- Leave pets and outside food at home.
