Zayed National Museum to open in December 2025
Named after the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, widely regarded as the founding father of the UAE, the museum is at the heart of the Saadiyat Cultural District that is also home to other prestigious institutions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, Berklee Abu Dhabi, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abrahamic Family House and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi.
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, the museum's architectural blueprint, unveiled in 2010, revealed how its five towering steel structures are inspired by the wings of a falcon in flight. It is notable that falconry has been an integral part of Emirati culture for centuries.
The latticed towers are also intended to act as thermal chimneys that will draw cool air into the spaces below. Speaking about the museum in a statement issued, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, stated, 'It is a tribute to his boundless belief in people, in their ability to learn, to uphold the values of unity, compassion and national pride. This museum is more than a place of preservation; it is a promise to future generations, a beacon of our identity, and a space where our story is told not just through objects, but through emotion, memory and vision. This institution will carry our story forward for generations to come.'
Apart from a temporary exhibition gallery, the museum will also boast six permanent galleries spread across two floors. The display will include artefacts from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age. The highlights include one of the world's oldest natural pearls that dates back 8,000 years, and the Blue Qur'an, one of Islamic art's finest manuscripts with Kufic calligraphy. In addition, a Bronze age Magan Boat has been recreated by Zayed University in partnership with New York University, Abu Dhabi.
With the Middle East emerging as one of the most closely watched regions with regard to a growing market and push for art, the Saadiyat Cultural District will also soon see the opening of the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 'The cultural legacy of the UAE has been nurtured over decades, from the establishment of its earliest cultural institutions to today's expansive vision for cultural exchange and knowledge. Saadiyat Cultural District represents the next chapter in this national journey, curating world-class institutions that honour the past and engage the future,' added Al Mubarak.
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