Unspecified/General

Mangrove National Park protects roughly 19 square kilometres of intertidal forest along the eastern shoreline of Abu Dhabi, forming the largest contiguous stand of Avicennia marina grey mangroves in the United Arab Emirates. Designated a protected area in 2013 by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, the reserve serves as a critical nursery for fish, crabs and shrimp, while supporting populations of grey herons, western reef egrets, flamingos and the rare Socotra cormorant. The mangrove ecosystem also sequesters significant volumes of atmospheric carbon, earning it a place in the emirate's climate strategy. Visitors typically explore the park by kayak, paddleboard or guided electric boat, departing from launch points at Eastern Mangroves Promenade, Jubail Mangrove Park or Mangrove Beach. Jubail Mangrove Park opened to the public in 2020 and features a two kilometre elevated boardwalk that loops through the forest at canopy level, with interpretation panels covering tidal cycles, root systems and the marine food web. Watchtowers along the boardwalk give visitors elevated views of the channels weaving between the trees, where juvenile blacktip reef sharks have been spotted patrolling the shallows. Sunrise and sunset paddles remain the most popular activity, with operators offering single, double and family kayaks alongside stand-up paddleboards. Guided tours led by trained naturalists explain the symbiosis between the mangroves and surrounding mudflats, where fiddler crabs and mudskippers feed during low tide. Conservation programmes have planted millions of saplings across the reserve since the 1970s, originally directed by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and replanting continues today through volunteer initiatives. The park is open year-round, though winter months from October through April provide the most comfortable conditions for water-based activities and birdwatching across the calm tidal channels at all hours. Educational tours for school groups and university field trips can be arranged in advance through the park's sustainability office, and ranger-led interpretive walks operate from the visitor centre on Friday and Saturday mornings.

Type: Outdoors

Address: Eastern Corniche, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Telephone: +971 2 565 3866

Website: https://jubailisland.ae/jubail-mangrove-park/

Opening Date: 01/01/2013