All set for the Zayed National Museum opening? The date is sooner than you think – it’s December 2025!
That’s right, come winter, Saadiyat Cultural District Abu Dhabi is all set to welcome the highly anticipated landmark institution. Unlike the other iconic global museums at SCD, this one’s particularly special to the UAE as it honours the Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Through immersive exhibitions, active research and public and community programming, the museum builds on Sheikh Zayed’s vision.
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, the museum’s design embodies the heritage of the UAE. Five steel structures rise above the museum, inspired by the wing of a falcon in flight.
What can you expect to find at the Zayed National Museum?
Visitors can explore six permanent galleries across two floors, spanning 300,000 years of human history, as well as a temporary exhibition gallery.
The museum’s collection features artefacts from across the UAE. These are a mix of heritage donations locally, as well as loans from here and abroad.
The museum’s collection includes Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age artefacts, many of which were uncovered by archaeological teams over half a century ago. These include the world’s oldest falaj irrigation system to traces of Bronze Age copper mining.
An unmistakable highlight is the Abu Dhabi Pearl, one of the world’s oldest natural pearls, shedding new light on the history of pearling in the Arabian Gulf.
Others include the Blue Qur’an, one of Islamic art’s finest manuscripts; a recreation of an ancient Magan Boat, and more.
Sustainability and inclusivity are at the heart of the Zayed National Museum. Through its galleries, learning programmes and pioneering research, the focus remains to mesh global perspectives and the UAE’s heritage and contemporary identity.
Watch this space for more updates on the exact opening date for the Zayed National Museum.