Sheikha Fatima Park is an urban park in the heart of Abu Dhabi with a focus on active lifestyles and sport, supporting the core tenets of the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030. Located within the cultural Khalidiya District near the Corniche beach, it offers visitors a holistic approach to well-being with many facilities for healthy living and social activities such as group yoga sessions, live music events and outdoor movie screenings.

Fostering an Inclusive Sports Culture

The 46,000m2 park design converted the previous Khalidiyah Ladies Park into a modern family leisure and fitness outdoor centre, a testament to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Mubarak’s unwavering commitment to fostering sports and empowering women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Three Themed Zones

Cracknell divided the space into three zones linked by use of raw, reclaimed materials set within an urban ‘forest’ to provide rich opportunities for natural play. The Discovery Zone encourages gentle walking, skating and roller-blading activity along its flowering shrub-lined paths amongst shady trees. In contrast the Adventure Zone encourages participation in energetic sports by providing running trails, mountain bike tracks, a fitness gym, a basketball court, skate-park, dog park, splash pad, and play area for toddlers. Meanwhile The Experience Zone is aimed at adults and parents with 1Ha of retail including cafe spill-out, children’s daycare, and bike shop and facilities.

Access for All

In designing the Park, the team focused on achieving a scheme that provided access for all ages and abilities:

– Activities for Different Age Groups- Each space was laid out to encourage diverse groups of people to intermingle, fostering a vibrant community space that meets various interests and needs.
– Outdoor Exploration – The park included ‘adventurous play’ elements such as boulders, mini tunnels, suspended walkways, slides and play mounds for exploration. Tunnels encourage children to crawl and gain independence, while bridges give children the opportunity to improve balance and coordination, overcome obstacles, share, and take turns.
– Robust design – Landscape materials were carefully selected based on the park’s function and for their durability, colour and texture. High-traffic areas use durable resilient materials, such as in-situ concrete, that are easy to clean and maintain, while robust planting provides low maintenance hardy, native solutions that will stand up to the challenges of children’s active play. Other materials such as rope, wood, and stone provide natural textural variation, adding to the robust nature of the park.
– Accessibility – The park design caters for accessibility to all, for instance ramps and handrails have been incorporated throughout to provide easy access for those using wheelchairs or other mobility aids and those with pushchairs. Slope gradients and surface textures were designed to ensure safety, comfort and ease of movement for everyone.
– Lighting for Safety – To extend play time into the evening hours when the days’ heat is reduced, the park has been thoughtfully lit to create a safe nighttime experience for kids and adults alike..

A Testament to Modern Values

Nestled amidst Abu Dhabi’s vibrant cityscape, Sheikha Fatima Park serves as a recreational oasis, engendering community cohesion. Through its contemporary landscape approach and subsequent popularity, it symbolises Sheikha Fatima’s dedication to promoting healthy lifestyles and gender equality through sports.

Project Data

Landscape architecture: Cracknell
Architects: Benoy
Project location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Year completed: 2021
Photo credits: Alessandro Merati / Copyright Cracknell