The Green Planet Dubai welcomes Sanad Village children of determination for a day of fun

The Green Planet Dubai, the only indoor tropical rainforest in the Middle East recently hosted 50 Sanad Village students with special needs (children and adults of determination) aged 3-18 years old, together with their teachers for a fun day – in commitment to The Green Planet Dubai’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to give back to the community.

Sanad Village students were invited to explore a tropical rainforest adventure, with more than 3,000 plants and animals from across the globe featuring, Lemon the Sloth, Kendrick the Lemur, Thatcher the Anteater, Blue and Gold Macaws, Umbrella Cockatoos, reptiles, spiders, anacondas, flying foxes and more. The students also enjoyed the outdoor Nature Park with its nine botanical gardens, treehouse adventure trail, the skyline walks, as well as the 19 giant animatronic bugs that offer an enriching fun and learning experience.

Al Anood Al Hashemi, Vice President – Organizational Culture and Impact, Dubai Holding Entertainment, commented, “In line with our commitment to create a positive and inclusive community, we were happy to welcome Sanad Village’s students to The Green Planet Dubai, which is a certified autism centre offering an educational experience to its visitors, whether kids or adults. Sanad Village students had the opportunity to watch different species in a safe environment and it has been proven through several studies that being in nature can provide a soothing effect on people’s behaviour.”

Haneen Abubaker, Workshop and Inclusion Manage at Sanad Village said: “Our day at Green Planet was filled with exploration, sensory experiences, and meaningful connections with the natural world. It was wonderful to see our students experience a sense of calm that is often challenging to achieve in traditional settings. The animals and plants had a therapeutic effect on the students and helped them with emotional regulation. At Sanad Village, we aim to create meaningful and positive experiences for individuals facing developmental challenges and visits like these also align with our goal of enabling students to transition to mainstream society. Furthermore, encounters like this allow the general public to meet children and adults of determination, which contributes to building a society were people understand and are more accepting of behavioural challenges.”

In 2023, The Green Planet Dubai earned the Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) designation by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) marking the first theme park and indoor attraction in Dubai to earn this distinction. Furthermore, The Green Planet Dubai became a member of the prestigious European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), internationally acknowledged as the gold standard in best practices for animal care, protection, and research.