The Dubai Crocodile Park project is now 43% complete, and opening has been projected for the end of next year, said Juma Al Fuqae, Director of Property Management Department and Vice Chairman of the Investment Committee at Dubai Municipality.

Al Fuqae said the opening has been extended to allow more time for preparations to be completed in full at the venue which is being set up on the lines of Crocodile Parks in France, and is considered to be the first of its kind in the Middle East.

Once open, the park will enable hundreds of crocodiles to grow and reproduce naturally, and will house many types of Nile crocodiles, the largest fresh-water species in the world.

Talking on the environmental aspect of the project, Al Fuqae said the engineering and construction materials used in the project are environmentally friendly and depend on renewable energy and waste treatment.