For months we've been hearing rumors that Dubai Safari, the AED1 billion wildlife project that's set to be home to over 3,500 animals, would be opening soon.
Like other UAE-based projects (the Louvre, or the Dubai Frame, for example), Dubai Safari's opening date has been postponed a number of times, and eager animal-lovers have been anxious to get confirmation of when they would actually be allowed inside the park.
Now, it seems, that Dubai Safari will most likely welcome its first guests by the country's 46th National Day, which falls on December 2.
Speaking to Gulf News after a press conference this week, Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality said, "We are expecting to complete and hope to open Dubai Safari by the end of November."
Tim Husband, the technical director of Dubai Safari, also commented, saying: "We are pushing hard to meet this deadline and at this time I can't see why we wouldn't reach our goal.
"We will have most of our collection in place for the soft opening."
While there's no word yet on ticket sales or whether the public will be welcome at the soft opening, we may have just found our National Day plans. Until then, hold yourself over with the video below.
#Dubai Safari Park: The countdown begins pic.twitter.com/xwhhxGVOJn
- Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 12, 2017