Skip to main content

Zayed National Museum opening in Abu Dhabi in 2021

News
zayed national museum

The Zayed National Museum is set to open in 2021, with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi now confirming that construction is underway in the Saadiyat Island Cultural District on Saadiyat Island.

The museum will tell the story of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, celebrating his life and achievements. It will also educate visitors on the history, culture and geography of the UAE.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT) released a video on its official Twitter account, showing the museum’s construction progress and providing a look at the attraction.

“Construction on Zayed National Museum, the national museum of the UAE, is underway in the Saadiyat Cultural District, Saadiyat Island in AbuDhabi,” the DCT wrote.

Museum will be a monument to Sheikh Zayed

The 44,000m2 museum, designed by Foster + Partners, will be a monument and memorial to the founding president of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed.

It will also showcase the history and culture of the Emirates, as well as its more recent social and economic transformation.

The Zayed National Museum is set within a landscaped garden, in a nod to Sheikh Zayed’s love of nature. The attraction’s towers are shaped like the wing tips of the falcon.

The core gallery is ‘Sheikh Zayed: Life and Times’, while the ‘Falconry and Conservation Gallery’ will focus on Sheikh Zayed’s passion for nature, conservation, and falconry.

Zayed National Museum designed by Foster + Partners

zayed national museum

Elsewhere, the ‘Land and Water Gallery’ will explore the way the UAE’s natural resources were cultivated and traded in the past.

Other galleries include the ‘People and Heritage Gallery’, the ‘History and Society Gallery’, the ‘Science and Learning Gallery’, and the ‘Faith and Islam Gallery’.

Saadiyat Island is already home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which has welcomed more than two million visitors since it opened in 2017.

The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will also be located on Saadiyat Island. Its opening date has yet to be confirmed.

Images: Foster + Partners

Share this

Bea Mitchell

Bea is a journalist specialising in entertainment, attractions and tech with 10 years' experience. She has written and edited for publications including CNET, BuzzFeed, Digital Spy, Evening Standard and BBC. Bea graduated from King's College London and has an MA in journalism.

More from this author

More from this author

Related content

Your web browser is out of date. Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site.

Find out how to update