Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Umm Al Emarat Park, located at the heart of Abu Dhabi, serves as a popular family spot and a green haven during the UAE’s stunning winter climate.
One of the oldest and largest in Abu Dhabi, the park offers open spaces for relaxation in nature with a range of educational and recreational experiences that cater to visitors of all ages. Children’s play zones are equipped with modern and interactive games.
Spanning 14.5 hectares, alongside tree-lined promenades, Umm Al Emarat Park aligns with the 4th season of the ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign for the facilities and services that blend tranquil natural landscapes, entertainment, and community gatherings, giving the ultimate winter experience.
Unique Ambience
Umm Al Emarat Park, welcoming more than 700,000 visitors every year, has established itself as a community space that provides a variety of activities and opportunities for exploring and connecting with nature.
Since its establishment in 1982, the park has seen extensive renovations, making it one of the best family parks in the city. In January 2013, the park was closed for 24 months for renovation, where new facilities were designed and built to the highest international standards to ensure a better visitor experience.
Since March 2015, the park has hosted more than 250 events related to entertainment, arts, culture, fitness, community, and awareness.
Green Haven
Umm Al Emarat Park is home to more than 250 different species of trees and plants, including more than 200 trees over 20 years old, which were salvaged and replanted in their original places in the newly renovated park.
Over 150,000 new seedlings and 1,200 trees were planted to provide more shade in the Botanical Garden and the Shade House.
The Shade House is an iconic structure towering over the park and housing several species of plants in a moisture-controlled environment like the palm trees and cycads. Two upper-level decks offer picturesque views of the park and surrounding landscape. The Shade House produces a cooling micro climate, designed specifically to regulate the sunlight and overall pattern of the shade. The heat resistant enviornment allows plants, which normally grow outdoors, to thrive.
Exciting Programmes
Umm Al Emarat Park offers a rich program of exciting events, including the iconic and community favourite ‘Cinema in the Park’. The outdoor movie screenings feature family movies and childhood favourites every weekend.
It also hosts the popular ‘Park Market’ held during the weekend, featuring vendors selling food and artisanal goods in a fun community shopping experience that boosts competitiveness of local products and supports local farmers.
The ‘Children’s Garden’ is an edutainment destination that allows children and their families to participate in fun activities including paper crafts, face painting, and balloon shaping. It also offers a wide range of seating options for visitors to relax, and enjoy reading books under the warm sun amidst the beautiful nature. Several restaurants and cafes offer a variety of options that cater to all tastes.
Wisdom Garden
Umm Al Emarat Park is home to the stunning Wisdom Garden, which pays tribute to the legacy of the late UAE founder His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who greatly loved nature and emphasized the conservation of the environment.
The Wisdom Garden presents a peaceful and exquisitely designed green space with well-maintained indigenous plants and marble slabs adorned with quotes from the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Umm Al Emarat also houses the Jewels of Abu Dhabi, gifted by the Chairman of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the mother of the nation Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak in celebration of Mother’s Day.
Jewels of Abu Dhabi are a collection of five beautifully crafted life-sized bronze sculptures representing Abu Dhabi’s iconic species –the Dugong, Greater Flamingo, Hawksbill Turtle, Arabian Oryx and Saker Falcon.
Cultural Events
In line with its mission to enhance cultural awareness and promote of the UAE’s values of co-existence, Umm Al Emarat Park has hosted a variety of festivals showcasing diverse cultures including the fun-filled Thai Festival, organized by the Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi in 2021 and 2022.
The park also hosted the two-day 11th Korea Festival in 2023, organized in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the UAE and the Korean Cultural Center under the captivating theme ‘Sustainable Culture: Flowing into the Future’.
The park organises outdoor book reading activities, storytelling sessions, and music concerts. On the Arab Language Day and within its alfresco Park Market, Umm Al Emarat Park hosted a line-up of creative initiatives to commemorate the contribution of the Arabic language to human civilization and culture.
Visitors enjoyed puppet shows and hakawati storytelling shows by Bait Al Arabi and avid readers had the opportunity to buy from a collection of Arabic books that were on display.
Global Awards
Umm Al Emarat Park has won the Green Flag Award for 2016 and 2017, and Award for Merit in the Design category by the American Society for Landscape Architects (ASLA) in 2015.
The Green Flag Award sets the benchmark international standards for public parks and green spaces according to stringent criteria, such as conservation and heritage, environmental sustainability, health, safety, and security, and community involvement.
The win placed Umm Al Emarat Park in the ranks of 1,600 green spaces across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Germany, and The Netherlands.
