Abu Dhabi's new Natural History Museum in the Saadiyat Cultural District is set to open to the public on 22 November.
The 35,000-square-metre museum, the largest of its kind in the region, will take visitors on an immersive journey through 13.8 billion years of natural history, including the Big Bang, and the rise and fall of dinosaurs.
Built by architects Mecanoo, the new museum will provide interactive exhibits, immersive experiences, and natural history specimens and artefacts.
Highlights include Stan, a nearly complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex, as well as a 25-metre female blue whale specimen, and a meteorite containing 7-billion-year-old grains.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said the upcoming opening of the museum "marks a major milestone in our journey to shape the emirate's cultural landscape".
He added, "The museum offers an immersive look at the story of life on Earth, framed for the first time through an Arabian lens, with the fauna, flora, and geological history of the region forming a prominent part of the visitor journey."
Abu Dhabi's new cultural institution
As well as functioning as a visitor attraction, the museum will be a global hub for cutting-edge research, with state-of-the-art laboratories to advance studies in palaeontology, earth sciences, biodiversity research, conservation and community science.
"The museum's research and educational institution supports scientific knowledge and undertakes innovative scientific studies in zoology, palaeontology, marine biology, molecular research and earth sciences," Al Mubarak said.
Saadiyat Cultural District
"By fostering engagement with the natural sciences, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi inspires future generations and contributes to a more sustainable future."
In the Saadiyat Cultural District, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi will join cultural institutions including Louvre Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi.
Also coming to the destination are the new Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
