Zabeel Park () is an

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

public park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...

located in the

Zabeel Zabeel (25 October 1986 – 25 September 2015) was a New Zealand-bred racehorse who predominantly raced in Australia. He was retired to stud and became a champion sire. He was a bay son of Sir Tristram from the Nureyev mare Lady Giselle. ...

district of

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

. It is bounded by Sheikh Rashid Road to the north, the

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road D 88 (also known as Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Road from the Bur Dubai side and Omar Bin Al Khattab Road from the Deira side) is a road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in W ...

to the northwest, while the

Sheikh Zayed Road E 11 () is a highway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The longest road in the Emirates, it stretches from the Al Batha border crossing at the Saudi Arabia–United Arab Emirates border, Saudi Arabia–UAE border in Sila, Abu Dhabi, al-Silah in th ...

cuts through the south. The park is divided into numerous sectors connected by pedestrian bridges, and there are multiple entrance gates. The

Dubai Frame The Dubai Frame () is an observatory, museum and monument in Zabeel Park, Dubai. It holds the record for the largest frame in the world. The building has a height of 150.24 meters and a width of 95.53 meters. The building mainly serves as an obs ...

is located inside the park. Situated between Al Karama and the

Dubai World Trade Centre The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) () is a convention and exhibition centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. History The Dubai World Trade Centre was originally a single tower, constructed in 1979, and has since been expanded into a business d ...

, Zabeel Park covers much of the Al Kifaf area. It is accessible from the Red Line of

Dubai Metro The Dubai Metro () is a rapid transit system in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The metro system consists of a network of two main lines: the Red Line and the Green Line. A third line, the Blue Line, is scheduled to open in 2029. Du ...

via the nearby Al Jafiliya Station. It is maintained by the Public Parks and Horticulture Department of

Dubai Municipality Dubai Municipality () is the Government of Dubai municipal body with jurisdiction over city services and the upkeep of facilities in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates and reports directly to the Dubai Executive Council. The agency is l ...

Background

The park was opened to the public in December 2005, in an inauguration ceremony by Sheikh

Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum (, '; 25 December 1945 – 24 March 2021) was an Emirati politician, the deputy ruler of Dubai and the minister of finance and industry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He was the second son of the late rul ...

. The size of Zabeel Park is 47.5 ha (117.375 acres), or about 45 football fields. The parking capacity can accommodate 2,300 vehicles.

Architecture

Zabeel Park was designed as one of the first technology-themed urban parks in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

region. Covering approximately 47 hectares, it is divided into several zones connected by pedestrian bridges. The layout features themed areas such as the Alternative Energy Zone, Communications Zone, and Techno Zone, which house interactive educational exhibits on topics like solar power and digital innovation. The park also includes jogging paths, water features, amphitheatres, sports facilities, and themed gardens, blending recreation with

environmental education Environmental education (EE) refers to organized efforts to teach how natural environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior and ecosystems to live sustainably. It is a multi-disciplinary field integrating discipli ...

. A prominent architectural landmark within the park is the Dubai Frame, a 150-meter-high rectangular structure that frames views of both old and modern Dubai. Clad in gold-coloured stainless steel, the Frame consists of two towers connected by a 93-meter glass skybridge, symbolizing the connection between the past and future of the city. Other structures, including an

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...

theatre, open-air amphitheatre, and children’s edutainment facilities, reflect the park’s technology-driven ethos. Iranian architect Hooman Balazadeh, contributed a visionary concept for the park during the 2008 ThyssenKrupp Elevator International Architecture Award. He proposed a symbolic, interactive tower that integrated sustainable design and responded to the site’s context.

Activities

The entrance fee is AED 5 per person. The park is one of the city's largest and most frequented, and is a popular spot for sports and

live music A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

. It contains various recreational facilities including a 2.5 km jogging track on the park perimeter, pedestrian tracks, BMX track, skateboarding park, barbecue and picnic areas, a

boating lake A boating lake is a lake used for recreational boating. Such lakes are often in parks and can be artificially made. Some boating lakes are used for model boats. References External links * Lakes by type Lakes A lake is often ...

, lakeside restaurants, ice skating, a mini

cricket pitch A cricket pitch is the rectangular central strip of a cricket field between the two wickets, where most of the action takes place. It is long (1 Chain (unit), chain) and wide. The surface is flat and is normally covered with extremely sh ...

and golfing area, shaded seating and children's play areas. There is also an exhibition gallery, prayer rooms, a fitness centre, and various monuments. The park has a technology-based theme, with three zones (the Alternative Energy Zone, Communications Zone and the Techno Zone) containing educational and interactive displays. It also offers a 3D cinema for

edutainment Educational entertainment, also referred to by the portmanteau edutainment, is media designed to education, educate through entertainment. The term has been used as early as 1933. Most often it includes content intended to teach but has inciden ...

activities. There are over 3,000

palm tree The Arecaceae () is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are colloquially c ...

plantations in the park, in addition to 7,000 other trees of a variety of 14 species. Visitors have access to

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...

internet. During the 20th

Dubai Shopping Festival Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF; ) is an annual month long event put together by the Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment (DFRE), which is a part of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism. During the festival, shops offer discounts on their mer ...

in 2015, the park attracted over 90,000 visitors in the first 10 days.

Photo gallery

File:Dubai Roads on 1 May 2007.jpg, Aerial view of the interchange between Al Qutaeyat Road and Zabeel Road; Zabeel Park is on the left File:Dubai Skyline from Zabeel Park.jpg, Dubai Skyline from Zabeel Park

References

External links

Zabeel Park
at