The Butterfly Gardens Abu Dhabi (Al Qana biodomes)

The project became public in spring 2025. In late April, Gulf News announced a butterfly garden next to The National Aquarium on the Al Qana waterfront, due to open in September; Outlook Traveller added that the announcement was made at the Arabian Travel Market and that the scheme had been developed with biologists and conservation specialists. On 22 May 2025 the daily Aletihad reported that construction was already under way, with the biodome structures expected to become visible near the aquarium within months, and quoted head curator Lewis Cocks on the technical choices behind the envelope and the water system.

The September deadline was missed. A limited run of VIP preview tours preceded the public opening on Friday 9 January 2026, a date confirmed by Aletihad the day before. On the same day the ticketing platform Headout announced that it held exclusive distribution rights for the attraction. General manager Paul Hamilton describes the site as a reserve meant to make the links between ecosystems understandable, with school sessions on pollination and biodiversity.

The butterflies come from breeding operations run by small farming communities in Costa Rica and the Philippines under conservation-oriented programmes; a share of them is released each month to support local pollination. Neither the architect nor the cost of the project has been made public.

The complex consists of two climate-controlled domes, the Asian Dome and the American Dome, whose shape the official site says was inspired by a butterfly's head. A bridge links them across an oasis of waterfalls and ponds. Koi ponds line the paths beneath tall planting and soft light, with the sound of water throughout.

The envelope is made of UV-filtering panels that let in the natural light the plants need while shielding the animals from the Emirati heat. Temperature and humidity are held at constant levels all year, which allows the gardens to open in every season. Water runs in a closed loop: it is reused through the koi ponds and the trees planted indoors, which in turn help keep the air humid.

Alongside the glasshouses are a café, a small shop and spaces for events and workshops.

More than 10,000 butterflies fly free in the two domes, including rare rainforest species bred in Costa Rica and the Philippines. The American Dome is devoted to the wildlife of the Americas: blue morphos, hummingbirds, Cuvier's dwarf caiman, Linnaeus's two-toed sloth and tamandua. The Asian Dome brings together the atlas moth, koi ponds, insects, the binturong, also called the Palawan bearcat, the Sri Lankan giant squirrel and birds, among them the Gouldian finches mentioned by Aletihad.

The plants are not described species by species: the sources speak of tropical flora, trees planted beneath the domes and lush gardens. Animal presentations, a butterfly-release experience and koi feeding round off the visit, and interactive displays explain the butterfly life cycle, metamorphosis and pollination.

The gardens stand on the Al Qana waterfront, about five minutes from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, directly in front of The National Aquarium, with which a combined ticket is offered. The constant indoor climate makes a visit possible in any season, including the height of summer.

The route is walked from one dome to the other across the bridge; guided tours, animal presentations and the butterfly release extend the visit. It is natural to continue with the neighbouring aquarium, its themed zones and its glass bridge, then with the cinema and restaurants along the Al Qana waterfront.