Looking for a family outing that’s engaging, educational and won’t break the bank? We headed out to Saadiyat Island to check out the Eco Future exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat and discovered a destination that covers them all.
At AED 80 for a family of four, this exhibit is pleasantly easy on the wallet. We grab our tickets and are also handed a swipe card each. Once inside, the swipe cards are used to play interactive games – fun and educational all at the same time.
First up we take a seat in the briefing area to watch a film introduction. We are introduced to Yas, Moza, Ali and Sara, our friendly cartoon guides for the exhibit. Each character has their own distinct personality and ideas about what a sustainable future should be, and they don’t always agree!
After the film, our kids take off running and find a game all about where our drinking water comes from. As we compete to catch the most water drops (some of us more good-naturedly than others) we learn things we didn’t know about water treatment and its ecological costs.
The food section offers up even more hi-jinks – who can create the healthiest meal? We manage to catch some healthy foods, but our overall score is low thanks to our love of French fries – oops!
The male component of our educational expedition suddenly disappears and we find them busily designing an eco-friendly vehicle. In the interests of gender equality we give it a go too and are most impressed with our eight-seater passenger car in its lovely shade of green.
Once we’ve completed all the games we head to the Future City section and swipe our cards one last time. On the screen we get a tour of the city we’ve created, from vehicles and factories to housing and parks.
This exhibit, which runs at Manarat Al Saadiyat for the next year is well worth a visit for young and old alike and is a quirky, fun way to get us all thinking about the future.
Sarah Widdup
What? Eco Future Exhibit
Where? Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island
We say: Great family outing
Contact: www.sadiyatculturaldistrict.ae
