The Shiekh Zayed Desert Learning Centre is an important educational edifice that combines knowledge and education, an exhibition and a place to explore the natural and cultural history of the local desert.
As you explore the Shiekh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, watching its collections and interactive exhibitions, you can also enjoy the experience of participating in the discussion, drawing and writing in the activities of this guide, and the more you reflect on the contents of the center, the more you discover!
This guide is designed from all ages, especially those aged one, to be used to explore the Shiekh Zayed Desert Learning Centre
During your visit, please remember
Not running in the halls and sections of the centre
Speak in a quiet voice while sharing ideas
Do not use dry pens or selection pens
Set the phone to silent mode
It is forbidden to eat and drink while walking around
Place the camera lens on the scan code to download the booklet
CHAPTER ONE
Sheikh Zayed Tribute Hall
Welcome to the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre
Our land is a complex and vital place, full of hidden life and untold stories. We invite you to discover the desert as you’ve never seen it before.
A father’s vision -
You are standing on the site of the original Al Ain Zoo, founded in 1968 by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The zoo embodied Sheikh Zayed’s deep understanding of the desert—a place where people encountered animals of the wild, and where the Emirates’ first conservation of endangered species took place.
His Roots Were in the Desert
Sheikh Zayed was born in 1918, into a world that was very different from the place we know today—where people lived in close connection with their desert environment.
Carrying His Legacy
Carrying Sheikh Zayed’s Conservation Legacy Into the Future
Please choose the correct answer
Father Zayed’s achievements in the environmental field won international and global recognition and honor, where he was honored with nearly an ............. award and a certificate from environmental organizations
16 18 20
True or False / Among the awards received by Sheikh Zayed from environmental organizations is the Golden Panda Award.
Sheikh Zayed considered our land as part of our history and heritage, and made great efforts to preserve and .protect the environment and natural habitats
Go to the screens in the Sheikh Zayed Tribute Hall and watch the film materials, then circle the correct answer:
One of the most important birds that Sheikh Zayed cared about:
One of the hobbies of Sheikh Zayed
Falconry & Equestrian
Follow-up to Sheikh Zayed's initiative to preserve the environment today
and tomorrow
“Sheikh Zayed was absent from us in his body, but his spirit and his memory will remain with us forever, and they are the source of our inspiration, encouragement and push forward, but he is an old man who remains present in the state he created, the nation he founded and the role models he set”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
A letter of thanks to the father, Sheikh Zayed - may God have mercy on him - Founder of the United Arab Emirates
CHAPTER TWO
Abu Dhabi Desert Over Time
THE STORY IN THE ROCK
Our land has not always been desert. A story lies in the rock beneath the sands. It tells us of ancient seas and shifting continents. It reveals once lush plains, green and abundant with water, crowded with life.
THE CAVES OF JEBEL HAFIT -
Welcome to our cave—come inside and meet some of the animals that call it home. While you’re at it—take a closer look at the walls to learn what the cave rocks tell us about our country’s past. If your house is as old as a cave, you can expect scientists to visit you to study your roof and walls, looking for signs of what the world was like in the past. And the animals that shelter from the caves of Jebel Hafit have learned to bear the guest that comes from time to time.
Test Your Knowledge!
And now my friends, its time to test your knowledge, are you ready?
Who are the real residents of Hafit Cave?
From the bottom of an ancient sea
About 90 million years ago, the bottom of an ancient sea was thrust upward by the earth, creating islands that would one day be the Hajar Mountains. This is where this rock, called granite, is found today. Formed underground millions of years ago, now thrust high over the desert.
Search In The Gallery
Search in the gallery for a huge animal that roamed our land, and a team of researchers from the "Archaeological Survey of Abu Dhabi Islands" managed to discover it. What is it?
The Story of Abu Dhabi in Five Rocks
There are fossils found in Abu Dhabi today that trace the story of our land, from 500 million years ago to the present.
Search for fossils to discover the past!!
In the following table, search for fossils and write the name of the correct fossil next to the pictures
Explore the rocks that shaped our world
Rocks are formed, broken down and transformed into different types of rock in what is called the rock cycle.
Go to the types of rocks and examine the rocks and fill in the following table
CHAPTER THREE
Abu Dhabi Living World
Our unique lands are full of life nature’s finery and ingenuity can be found across our country, from the rolling dunes and wind-swept sandy desert to the craggy slopes of Jebel Hafit.
Quiet days, busy nights
The desert comes to life at night when it is cooler. Ever notice how you have more energy when you are cool?
Desert animals share this trait, except there are no air conditioners in the desert. Instead they wait until the sun sets and the temperature drops to become active. These animals sleep during the day and are awake at night, unlike humans.
Animals that are active at night are called nocturnal.
Search In The Gallery
Search in the gallery for a microscope and write down what you saw in the sand
Animals at Risk
Wild animals today face various risks, due to the decline in their numbers with the decline of their natural habitats as a result of overgrazing and development projects.
Where a number of wild animals that lived in Abu Dhabi in the past have disappeared.
Today, environmental activists are in a race against time to save species whose numbers are constantly declining.
Name the animals at risk in Abu Dhabi
Part of our desert, part of our heritage…
Beautiful desert dwellers, Arabian oryx have always been important to our cultural landscape. We have always admired Arabian oryx for their elegance, grace and resourcefulness. Their beauty and resilience often appear in poetry. Their striking profiles, with long spiraled horns and pale fur have inspired many stories of mythical single-horned unicorns.
Invisible Desert Life
See where all the manifestations of life disappear in the desert?
Many animals hide from sight in underground burrows. And out of them at night under cover of darkness. While the seeds of young plants wait for the next rainy season to come to life. Wander through this gallery and discover for yourself the unseen life of the desert.
Find the animals hiding in the picture and circle the animal.
Dune Tree
The Ghaf tree is not just an ordinary tree, it is a refuge for many forms of life in the desert. Many insects and animals depend on the roots, fruits, flowers and bark of the Ghaf tree as a source of food and protection. Larger wild animals such as hares, oryx and deer also depend on the Ghaf tree and sit under its shade to escape the sun's rays.
Draw and color the Ghaf tree
CHAPTER FOUR
People of the Desert
Welcome to the People of the Desert Gallery
Our ancestors survived by making the most of what the desert gave.
In the oases, on the coast and among the dunes, they managed their resources with wisdom, restraint and generosity.
Search for hidden waters, tending the land
Waters that flow beneath the dry desert have long fed Abu Dhabi’s oases. For thousands of years we have gathered in these green spaces, harnessing underground waters to grow our most valuable crop—the date palm.
And now dear friends, help the farmer deliver water so that he can irrigate the palms
Let’s Play!
While exploring the Desert Peoples gallery, try to find the following tools and paste the images next to the appropriate name
The basket used for reaping the fruits, or specifically for wet sheep, is handmade from palm wicker sedge, and it looks like a round basket on its two ends with two rings for use in carrying it.
It is a belt made of a group of ropes made of palm fiber after soaking and drying in water, where it is rubbed and twisted with the hands to form a long rope.
Tables for food circular shape made of wicker that people sit around to eat.
Portable fan
Connect every part of the palm tree with its products,old and new
Let’s Play!
Pottery
Pottery was very useful for storing food and water, but it was difficult to make in the desert environment. Clay is one of the main ingredients in making fuchsia, and is usually found in wet lands such as wadis around oases.
Decorate
Plying waters for fish and Pearls
The blue waters of the Gulf offered treasures to those able to endure the salty wells and extreme heat and humidity of the coast. Our ancestors overcame these difficulties to take from the water—fish in the winter and a fortune of pearls in the summer.
The Bedu owe their entire way of life to one animal which is
Let’s Color the Camel with Beautiful Colors
CHAPTER FIVE
Look to the Future
A nature conservation center and an oasis for sustainability
Al Ain Zoo is best known for its animals, but the entire site - and the building you're in now - has been built to the highest standards of environmental responsibility.
Rooted
in the past, but looking towards
the future
Our leaders today paint a picture of the future of Al Ain, so that our children can live in a city more compatible with the ancient oasis.
Mention Some Ways To Reduce The Consumption Of Water And Electric Energy And Preserve The Environment.
Non-Renewable Energy
Non-renewable energy is energy derived from natural resources that are exhausted and cannot be recovered after their use. Draw a circle on non-renewable energy.
It starts with a promise
A promise to one person may seem like a small thing, but if we all made a promise to change one thing in our lives every day, we can all make a real difference together.
What are you going to do now to live in a more harmonious way with our environment?
.Make a promise to yourself
Renewable energy is energy resulting from natural processes, without human intervention, and is constantly renewed. Let's, my friend, color the eco-friendly house, as it is powered by solar energy.
Head towards the -2 floor to visit
Research Centre
TO BROWSE THE CONTENTS OF THE LIBRARY
The Research Center at the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Center is one of the largest libraries specialized in environmental sciences and studies in the United Arab Emirates, as the center hosts nearly
Hundreds
The
Paper Sources
Guidance and Instruction:
How to use the Research Centre
Reference Services: Answer research inquiries
Circulation service: Lending books based on borrowing policy
The Research Center provides tours of the Center, in addition to providing many varied reading activities, competitions for children, and interesting reading sessions for adults. It also organizes an annual environmental reading .forum with a lot of reading activities and fun
Adults programs are:
RAWAQ reading session
*Prior reservation required before to subscription
Kids programs are:
The Dugong - the Wilderness Keeper The Wilderness of Abu Dhabi - the Sand Cat Play and Learn - A Book Movie
*Prior reservation required before to subscription
We have (Environmental Researcher service) a free visit available for students
For booking:
szdlc.booking@alainzoo.ae
It also provides integrated library services to its visitors, including researchers, academics, specialists, visitors, and all members of society.
The Research Centre covers the following branches of knowledge:
Aquaculture
Animal
Trees,
Environmental
Sustainable Development & Ecological Economy
Geography,
Geology
Falconry
FOR COMMUNICATION AND RESERVATIONS to inquire or to book a visit or subscribe to activity in the :research centre, please contact us through
+971 3 7992411 +971 3 7992921
research-centre@alainzoo.ae
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ?
Now my friends, after your trip to the Shiekh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, what did you learn?
Scan the code with any tablet or phone for the location map
ACTIVITIES ANSWERS
Father Zayed’s achievements in the environmental field won international and global recognition and honor, where he was honored with nearly an 18 award and a certificate from environmental organizations
Among the awards received by Sheikh Zayed from environmental organizations is the Golden Panda Award - True
One of the most important birds that Sheikh Zayed cared about: Bustard .
One of the hobbies of Sheikh Zayed: Falconry and Equestrain
Search in the gallery for a huge animal that roamed our land, and a team of researchers from the "Archaeological Survey of Abu Dhabi Islands” managed to discover it, What is it? - The Elephant
ACTIVITIES ANSWERS
Bone from an ancient blue whale
Trilobite
How to be a Rock
Sediments of dead organisms and plant remains
Due to pressure and high temperature
Name the animals at risk in Abu Dhabi
Lynx \ Sand Cat \ Brandts Hedgehog \ Odon Vulture
Igneous Rocks
ACTIVITIES ANSWERS
ACTIVITIES ANSWERS
The basket used for reaping the fruits, or specifically for wet sheep, is handmade from palm wicker sedge, and it looks like a round basket on its two ends with two rings for use in carrying it.
It is a belt made of a group of ropes made of palm fiber after soaking and drying in water, where it is rubbed and twisted with the hands to form a long rope.
Tables for food circular shape made of wicker that people sit around to eat.
ACTIVITIES ANSWERS
ACTIVITIES ANSWERS
The Bedu owe their entire way of life to one animal which is Camel
Non-renewable energy is energy derived from natural resources that are exhausted and cannot be recovered after their use. Draw a circle on non-renewable energy.
Thank you for the visit. We wish you a beautiful day.
