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Zayed National Museum
National museum in Abu Dhabi, UAE From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Zayed National Museum (Arabic: مَتْحَف زَايِد ٱلْوَطَنِي, romanized: Matḥaf Zāyid Al-Waṭanī) is a museum, located in Abu Dhabi, the UAE. It is designed as a memorial to the late Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father and first president of the UAE.[1] The museum is planned to be the centrepiece of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District,[2] and will showcase the history, culture, and economic transformation of the Emirates.[3]
Zayed National Museum, the national museum of the United Arab Emirates located in the heart of Saadiyat Cultural District, was opened to the public on 3 December 2025.
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The museum has been designed by Foster + Partners with five solar thermal towers that will act as chimneys to draw cool air through the building.[1] The towers are shaped like falcon wings to commemorate Zayed's love of falconry.[3]
In 2009, the Zayed National Museum signed a ten-year contract with the British Museum.[4] The British Museum would assist with curation and loan about 500 of its treasures to the Zayed National Museum. According to The New York Times, the British Museum thinks that it is unlikely that any items will be loaned under the current contract, which ends in 2019. In June 2018, a new partnership was announced between the British Museum and Zayed National Museum.[5] In July 2019, the archaeologist Dr. Peter Magee was appointed Director.[6]
Its opening has been delayed many times. Scheduled to be complete in 2012,[7] the opening was delayed to 2013,[6] and later 2021.[7]
As of November 2021, the museum is still under construction, with anticipated opening in 2025, coinciding with the opening of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.[8]
It opened on 3 Dec 2025 where UAE President inaugurated Zayed National Museum in presence of Rulers of Emirates as part of 54th Eid Al Etihad celebrations. [9] The inauguration took place as part of the UAE’s celebrations marking the 54th Eid Al Etihad.Following its inauguration, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, together with the Rulers of the Emirates and senior sheikhs, toured the Zayed National Museum’s galleries. Inside, they explored exhibits ranging from documents and archaeological artefacts to personal belongings of the UAE’s Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The displays also feature audio recordings, photographs, and archival footage that capture defining moments in the nation’s history.
The museum houses more than 3,000 artefacts, with 1,500 currently on display, each narrating the story of the UAE and its people. Alongside its permanent collection, the museum offers a space for temporary exhibitions and Al Masar Garden — a 600‑metre open‑air gallery showcasing the landscapes and stories that shaped the country.
Six permanent galleries anchor the museum’s narrative:
- Our Beginning: Sheikh Zayed’s life, vision, and the unification of the Emirates.
- Through Our Nature: The UAE’s diverse environments and sustainable traditions.
- To Our Ancestors: Archaeological finds reflecting millennia of human presence.
- Through Our Connections: Early communities, science, and shared knowledge.
- By Our Coasts: Maritime traditions and seafaring heritage.
- To Our Roots: Emirati identity, customs, and traditional livelihoods.
To celebrate its opening, the museum launched a vibrant cultural programme with live performances, workshops, guided tours, and creative activities — inviting visitors of all ages to engage with this landmark institution.
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Architectural Design
The museum’s design suggests that it keeps pace with the latest developments and modernity in architecture. It was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Norman Foster. The museum’s land area is 66,000 square metres,[10] and consists of five towers that resemble the shape and design of a falcon’s wings, inspired by their place in the cultural heritage of the United Arab Emirates. The height of these wings ranges between 83 and 123 metres. The museum has a large main lobby to welcome visitors, and two galleries on the ground floor that represent the heart of the museum. On the first floor, there are four galleries in the form of a hanging hill, each of which forms the base of one of the wings, in addition to an external hill 30 metres high, inspired by the terrain of the Emirates. Visitors can climb it and walk between the bases of the wings and get a direct view of the cultural area on Saadiyat Island.[11]
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