At court of the dinosaur king

Festivities and education for all as parents and children flock to meet Abu Dhabi’s animatronic, prehistoric lizard stars.

One brave youngster gets up close and personal with a dinosaur, not quite sure if it will bite. Children, young and not so young, enjoyed celebrating Eid with dinosaurs at an event in the World Trade Show more

ABU DHABI // Whether raising their smartphones in delight to capture an image of a Stegosaurus hatching or clinging to parents from fear of a Tyrannosaurus Rex growling, young visitors to Abu Dhabi World Trade Centre took their historic holiday to prehistoric heights.

And high they were, with the mechanical dinosaurs on display nearly life-sized.

“It’s also educational, of course, but we want people to experience what dinosaurs were like, so therefore we want them to experience [it] on Eid Al Adha,” said Gester Talaat, managing director of Show Art Productions.

Several dinosaurs were on display, with the star, of course, being the T-rex.

"It's my favourite," said Mariyah Dalvie, aged seven, from the United Kingdom. "The way they move is really cool. We watched Jurassic Park and that was scary but this is fun.

“We’ve only been here for a month because we moved to Al Ain and now this is our first time going out in Abu Dhabi, and we were really surprised by the dinosaurs.”

She said that all of the dinosaurs had their individual appeal but that they were really there for the family experience.

“My brother is obsessed though. We are here for fun, he is here for dinosaurs,” her older sister, Mahek, said.

Her father, Asif, said that he brought his wife and children to experience some family time in the mall but that his two-year old son could not get enough of the dinosaurs.

“It’s nice to have these experiences, you know,” he said.

“It really brings people out for something new and to break the routine.”

The fascination with dinosaurs continues through generations, as many at the event recalled their own childhood fantasies about the creatures.

“I remember as a kid also being so very interested in dinosaurs,” said Paulo Lagangan. “How can you not? They are big, scary and almost like a fantasy.”

Interest in the big beasts has also renewed with the recent instalment of the film series Jurassic Park.

“Sometimes I think they never left our obsession,” he said.

The first dinosaur, a Hadrosaurus foulkii, went on display in 1868 in the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.

The scientist behind the display was Dr Joseph Leidy, who said that the display was primarily educational.

Not much has changed since then.

“We have plaques up so that people can read about the dinosaurs and what they are doing,” said Mr Talaat.

“The more people can see, the more they can learn.”

The displays were not all that visitors could experience. The event, which is running for the next 15 days, has an area where children can draw, paint and mould dinosaurs.

“It’s really a great chance for kids to just get out and do something different,” said Justin Welham, a father-of-two from the UK.

On the other side of the mall, youngsters could get up close and personal with an animatronic dinosaur or a dinosaur that they can touch and even ride.

“As long as you re 45kg or less, you can ride the dinosaur,” said Mr Talaat.

“Otherwise, you can experience the show and everything else we have on display.”

The display will be up until October 9, with hourly shows on the weekend showcasing the dinosaurs. The event is free for the public and held at World Trade Centre Mall in Abu Dhabi.