Wasit Nature Reserve: Hours, Tickets & Buggy Ride
Three details decide whether a trip to Wasit Nature Reserve works: it is closed every Tuesday, it opens at 2 PM on Fridays, and the walking trail takes its last entry at 4 PM. The AED 15 adult ticket is the easy part, and it already includes a buggy ride around the wetland.
The reserve sits in the Wasit suburb on the Sharjah and Ajman border, with 86 hectares of salt flats, dunes, lagoons and a large lake. Maps and signage use the name Wasit Wetland Centre for the same site, which matters when you search for directions.
Wasit Nature Reserve quick details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Adult ticket | AED 15 |
| Free entry | Children under 13, resident senior citizens, People of Determination |
| Closed | Tuesdays |
| Closing time | 6:30 PM on every open day |
| Included in the ticket | Indoor aviary gallery and a buggy ride |
| Area | 86 hectares |
| Bird hides | 8, each with fixed binoculars |
| Ramsar listing | 9 May 2019 |
| Run by | Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) |
| Parking | Free, with accessible spaces |
Opening hours & last entry
The reserve closes at 6:30 PM on every day it is open, but the opening time changes with the day of the week.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM |
| Thursday | 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM |
| Friday | 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM |
| Saturday | 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM |
| Sunday | 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM |
That gives a 9.5-hour window on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 7.5 hours on Saturday and Sunday, and just 4.5 hours on Friday. The walking trail takes its last entry at 4 PM, so reach the entrance by 3:30 PM on any day you want to walk. Arriving by 4 PM still leaves time for the indoor gallery and the buggy ride before closing.
Tickets & free entry
Adult entry is AED 15. Children under 13, resident senior citizens and People of Determination enter free.
Individual tickets are bought at the entrance counter on arrival. One ticket covers the indoor gallery and the buggy ride, so there is nothing else to pay for once you are in. School and group visits are arranged in advance by calling the centre on +971 6 522 6646.
How to get there
The reserve is on Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Al Qasimi Street in the Wasit suburb, in the Ramtha area of northeast Sharjah. Open the Wasit Wetland Centre map pin in any navigation app before you leave, because the listing carries the centre’s name rather than the reserve’s.
Parking is free at the entrance, and accessible spaces for People of Determination sit in the same car park. The visitor centre is below car park level, so you walk down to scan your ticket before the visit starts.
What the visit involves
Every visit follows the same order: indoor gallery first, then the outdoor loop by buggy or on foot.
Indoor gallery
The gallery is an air-conditioned, soundproofed glass corridor built below ground level, with aviaries on the other side of the glass. About 60 bird species live in the aviaries, and interactive displays explain how the wetland works, which keeps children occupied. A café and a souvenir shop are in the same building.
Buggy ride & hides
The buggy ride is included in the AED 15 ticket and lasts roughly 20 to 25 minutes. A driver takes you around the lake and past the hides, where the buggy stops for bird viewing. Eight hides are spread around the lake, each with fixed binoculars and information boards on the birds you are likely to see.
Walking instead of riding
You can walk the outdoor trail instead of taking the buggy, but not both. Scan your ticket and get permission at the visitor centre first, then head out before the 4 PM last entry. Allow an hour or more on foot.
What you can see
More than 200 bird species have been recorded across the reserve, a mix of residents and migrants. The reserve covers four habitats: coastal sand dunes, salt flats, ponds and a large lake.
- Aviary birds: greater flamingo, grey heron, glossy ibis, purple swamphen, pink-backed pelican and northern bald ibis
- Marbled duck: a threatened species that is among the rarer birds in the collection
- Wild migrants: waterbirds that use the lake and lagoons
- Arabian oryx: the endangered national animal of the UAE, which roams the reserve’s harder flats between the dunes
- Smaller wildlife: mammals, reptiles and insects across the dunes and shoreline
Best time to visit
October to March is the best season: temperatures are lower and migratory birds are present. The indoor gallery is air-conditioned, so the visit still works in summer, but the buggy ride and the trail are far more comfortable in winter.
If you want the longest day, go on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, when the reserve opens at 9 AM. Choose Saturday or Sunday if you prefer a later start, and treat Friday as a short afternoon visit that begins at 2 PM.
Facilities & accessibility
The reserve is set up for visitors who cannot walk the outdoor loop:
- An accessible golf cart that carries a wheelchair, so the visitor does not have to transfer
- Wheelchairs available at the visitor centre
- Accessible toilets
- Accessible parking spaces for People of Determination at the entrance
- Staff on hand to assist
Food is limited to the café inside the visitor centre, so eat before you arrive if you plan a long visit.
From dump site to Ramsar wetland
The site was once a waste-water and rubbish dump. Sharjah’s EPAA cleared it as part of a wider rehabilitation of the coastal wetlands along the Gulf, and the visitor centre opened in 2015 under the Ruler of Sharjah, Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi.
X Architects designed the visitor centre to sit below the surface so it blends into the landscape. The project won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2019, and the site was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on 9 May 2019. The Ramsar listing carries the official name Wasit Nature Reserve.
FAQ
What are Wasit Nature Reserve’s opening hours?
The reserve opens at 9 AM on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 AM on Saturday and Sunday, and 2 PM on Friday. It closes at 6:30 PM on every open day and is closed on Tuesdays.
Is Wasit Nature Reserve open on Tuesday?
No. The reserve is closed every Tuesday and opens again on Wednesday at 9 AM.
How much is entry to Wasit Nature Reserve?
Adult entry is AED 15. Children under 13, resident senior citizens and People of Determination enter free, and tickets are sold at the entrance counter.
Is the buggy ride included in the ticket?
Yes. The buggy ride is part of the AED 15 ticket and lasts roughly 20 to 25 minutes, with no extra charge.
Can you walk around Wasit Nature Reserve?
Yes, but the walk replaces the buggy ride rather than adding to it. Get permission at the visitor centre first, and start before the 4 PM last entry to the trail.
Is Wasit Nature Reserve wheelchair accessible?
Yes. The centre has wheelchairs, accessible toilets, accessible parking and a golf cart that carries a wheelchair around the outdoor loop.
Planning the day
- Choose Monday, Wednesday or Thursday for the longest opening window, from 9 AM to 6:30 PM.
- Reach the entrance by 3:30 PM if you want to walk the trail, since its last entry is 4 PM.
- Pay AED 15 per adult at the entrance counter. Children under 13 need no ticket.
- Plan around other Tuesday closures: Arabia’s Wildlife Centre and Buhais Geological Park are also closed that day, and the Khor Kalba Mangrove Centre is closed on Mondays.
- Finish the day in the city, where the fountain shows at Khalid Lagoon begin at 6:30 PM.
