Those of you who drive down Safa Street regularly will have noted just how close the next phases of the City Walk development are from finishing (this will include 21 low- and mid-rise residential buildings, including a hotel).

Well, to add to that, developer Meraas has just announced another exciting new feature opening in the City Walk area in the first half of this year – the region’s first bio-dome (and no, we’re not talking a Pauly Shore movie).

The new four-storey attraction will be called The Green Planet and will be an enclosed ecosystem that is a recreation of a tropical rainforest (one of the world’s oldest living ecosystems).

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As you walk into it you’ll be under a natural green canopy and will come across a giant 25-metre tree. That’s one tall timber.

The bio-dome will also feature personalised encounters with animals, and interactive elements about plants that kids will love. There will also be facilities to host school tours.

The Green Planet will be LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and will be fully compliant with the Dubai Municipality Green Building Regulations and Specifications.

The aim of the attraction is to educate people on the fragility of our planet, and the delicate balance in play in the globe’s ecosystems.

We’ll bring you more details when they’re released!

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Photo: Meraas.