Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (AL AIN)
Inspired by the palm tree and coloured to match the Arabian oryx, the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre at Al Ain Zoo is as much a showcase of sustainable engineering as it is a hub for wildlife education.
During a recent media visit, Aletihad got an inside look at how the building's architectural features and integrated systems work together to deliver measurable environmental gains.
The centre's solar thermal system, which heats water to drive absorption chillers, has produced over 193,000 megawatt-hours of cooling energy, reducing reliance on conventional air conditioning.
An earth heat exchanger has contributed an additional 183,825 kilowatt-hours by using stable underground temperatures to cut cooling demand, while on-site photovoltaic panels generate approximately 19 kilowatts of electricity.
Together, these systems have produced roughly 2,789 megawatt-hours of renewable energy, helping lower the building's carbon footprint and reduce energy costs.
The combined environmental impact is equivalent to saving more than 121,000 gallons of diesel, avoiding the annual fuel use of hundreds of vehicles, offsetting the electricity consumption of 152 homes, and reducing carbon emissions by an amount comparable to the work of 1,394 trees.
The building's earth-toned colours reduce heat gain and cooling demand, complementing the eco-design strategies that earned the centre LEED Platinum and Estidama Five Pearl ratings – the first UAE government building to achieve the latter at the design stage.
It also recycles and stores water for emergencies, cleaning and maintenance, reducing reliance on municipal supplies as part of its sustainable design.
The Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre is designed as an immersive classroom, blending natural history, Emirati heritage and sustainability into a single narrative aimed at everyday visitors, including families, students and tourists.
Cultural guides, trained to interpret the UAE's landscapes and traditions, lead visitors through a sequence of galleries that trace the country's past, present and future.
Exhibits explore local flora and fauna and the country's geological past, including fossil replicas of Stegotetrabelodon syrticus, a prehistoric elephant species found in the western region of Abu Dhabi.
Rock samples and cave displays explain how igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic formations shaped the region's landscape.
One of its galleries shifts the focus to people and memory, highlighting the legacy of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the principle he championed – moving confidently towards the future without losing sight of the past.
