Starting this January, Terra, Expo City Dubai launches its first Novice Beekeeping Course: a five-day, hands-on journey into the world of hive care, pollination, and urban biodiversity taking place every Sunday starting 18th January 2026.
Led by certified apiculturist and scientist Dr Meriem Hammal, affectionately known as the ‘Bee Fairy Lady,’ the course blends practical training, field trips, and immersive classroom sessions, and is open to anyone aged 9 and up with no prior experience required.
Bees pollinate one-third of the world’s food, yet face unprecedented threats from habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change. In a city as fast-growing as Dubai, Terra’s approach offers a bold alternative… bringing pollinators back into the fold of urban life.
The course includes five core training days across five weeks, plus three optional field trips with expert beekeepers across the UAE. Participants will receive a certificate of completion.
The course will teach students how to set up and manage their own beehive, conduct hive inspections and monitor colony health, identify native melliferous plants and seasonal foraging patterns, prevent and treat bee diseases and pests, harvest honey ethically and safely, understand pollination’s role in ecosystems and food systems and be a part of a growing community of beekeepers and biodiversity advocates.
‘Beekeeping isn’t just about honey,’ says Dr Meriem. ‘It’s about restoring balance. Pollinators like bees are essential to ecosystems, and they thrive when we make space for them. This course teaches people how to do just that with respect, confidence and care.’
This programme builds on Terra’s expanding role as a living lab for sustainability and public engagement, with the launch of the Jane Goodall Pollinator Garden and the 100 Hives programme, which aims to embed urban beekeeping across schools, parks, and community spaces in support of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.
Beekeeping Course Details:
Dates: Sundays from 19 January to 16 February 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Terra, Expo City Dubai
Eligibility: Ages 9+ including adults
Price: AED 2,200 per person (inclusive of VAT)
Registration & Info: https://terra.expocitydubai.com/en/poi/novice-beekeeping-course
