Abu Dhabi is to get a new amusement park as part of a drive to boost its tourism facilities and bring more greenery to the UAE city.

The 430,000 sq m Khalifa Park will have a natural marine history museum, theme gardens, oases, a mosque, a huge open-air theatre and a festival stand, according to local news reports.

It is being built by the Abu Dhabi Municipality and Abu Dhabi's Executive Council has granted permission to proceed with the project, the reports said. No date has been given for construction to start and no details of the cost of the project was announced.

The park, to be located at the old Airport Area at the Al Qarm Corniche, is being built to boost the city's landscaped areas and offer tourists modern facilities. It will have picnic spots capable of accommodating up to 10,000 visitors.

The marine museum will include audio-video displays of historic events, a display of old ships, the art of shipbuilding and the lifestyle of nationals in the pre-oil era.

The theme gardens will include a replica of the famous Al Hamra Palace in Spain, highlighting Islamic architecture. In addition, the gardens will have aquariums and games areas.

The festival stand will comprise two huge separate halls linked by a glass bridge over a water channel. The theatre will have the capacity for 10,000 people. The mosque will have a women's prayer area equipped with a nursery, a special area for babies and children's games.

All the gardens and other facilities will be linked by a pearl necklace-shaped garden. A train will carry visitors to the various areas, the reports said.