Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre

The Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre (SZDLC), housed in the Al Ain Zoo in a beautiful building boasting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, is a fantastic place to learn more about the UAE’s natural environment. Situated in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi’s garden city about one and a half hours away from the capital by car, you’ll find five interactive galleries here. Showcasing the country’s rich history and future-forward ideas, the galleries include the Sheikh Zayed Tribute Hall, Abu Dhabi's Desert Over Time, Abu Dhabi's Living World, People of the Desert and Looking to the Future.

Public tours take visitors on a journey through time, with stories and movies delving into the past, present and future of the UAE, encouraging people to reconsider their relationship with the environment, connect with it, and adopt more sustainable lifestyles.

SZDLC is an architecturally complex building featuring multiple levels, with the size of the centre and the nature of the content it showcases allowing for an impressive variety of visitor experiences. The centre incorporates a full range of interpretive media that includes immersive environments, audio-visual interactive exhibits, stylised sculptures and models, specimen collections, graphics and a large-scale theatre.

SZDLC was the first building in the UAE to earn a rating of five pearls in sustainability accreditation at the design and construction stage, where the application of exacting standards was set by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.