The new Al Tamimi Stables located in Sharjah opened its doors to the public on January 26th with a fun-filled event perfect for the whole family. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and the 30-acre recreational and educational facility was abuzz with animals, activities and entertainment, highlighting Al Tamimi’s unique children’s programme called Hero, which promotes interactive learning, healthy living and an appreciation of nature. Day-trippers were thrilled having their pictures taken with cute critters, joining in the different games and munching on the yummy, healthy treats served.
According to Al Tamimi Stables general manager Brian Galligan, the idea behind the project was to create a centre in Sharjah, near Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah where families and the whole community can come together to get active. The focus is on children development and creating an avenue for interaction with animals, nature exploration and personal growth. “It gives an opportunity for families to spend time together outside, something different from the usual trip to the mall,” he added.
In keeping with its vision of sharing an authentic farm experience to a wider community, the sprawling grounds is home to over 500 animals including horses, deers, oryxes, ostriches, emus, tortoises, cows and rabbits, just to name a few. “The highlight of the place has to be the animals; I really love our animals here. Most are imported and some are rescued animals we’ve taken in. We work with the animal sanctuary near Mirdif City Centre,” said Galligan. “We also have a selection of sheep and goats our chairman has imported himself from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Pakistan. Our horses are from, America and Netherlands – they’re really beautiful. We have some Andalusian horses that just came from Spain and we have more coming from the UK too.” The green farm also grows its own vegetables, dates, bananas, tomatoes and also produces by-products of milk and wool.
Al Tamimi Stables also hosts a variety of activities for visitors of children and adults alike, such as nature trails, falconry shows, horse shows, pony rides and a petting farm. Built on five pillars – nature, sport, horse, creativity, and animal care – the Hero programme aims to inspire children to work towards an understanding of the world around them while developing themselves as individuals. With its own equestrian facility, football pitch, basketball and tennis courts, the multi-purpose farm is also a great venue for football games, boot camps and team buildings. They will soon be doing personal training for all ages and are looking into building an indoor sports centre. “We have another plot of land behind that we use for growing grass for the animals and we want to use that area for doing some camping trips in the future. We can probably use this as base for desert exploration or desert hiking. The possibilities of what we can do here are pretty big,” said Galligan. This also a creative hub where in people can enroll for dancing, fencing, cooking, language, arts and crafts classes, or make their own music at the recording studio. Only 40 minutes drive from Dubai on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (formerly Emirates Road), it’s an ideal destination for family and friends who want to be closer to nature.
