ABU DHABI: Plans for a major new tourist attraction in Al Ain featuring an African safari experience, botanical gardens and an amphitheatre, have been given the green light by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, UPC. World Desert Oasis is among 76 new projects and master plans approved by the UPC in 2014, covering a total gross floor area, GFA, of 10,937,398 sq.m. The oasis is one of several approved projects that are set to enhance Al Ain’s appeal as a tourist destination, along with its aerospace industry and property landscape. Designed to showcase wildlife in its natural environment, World Desert Oasis is a project within the Zoo and Aquarium Public Institution of Al Ain, ZAPIA, and will be one of the many zones that make up ZAPIA Park. Visitors will be able to explore communal areas including an oasis garden, a botanical garden, a children’s discovery area and an African World Desert.