Zayed National Museum to open in December in Saadiyat Cultural District
Through immersive exhibitions, active research and public and community programming, the museum builds on Sheikh Zayed's vision, upholding the values he stood for, including humanitarianism and the preservation of Emirati culture and heritage. Visitors will 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, including donations related to the heritage of the UAE, in addition to domestic and international loans.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi said: '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. As the national museum of the UAE, Zayed National Museum is the legacy of our Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. 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.'
Sheikh Zayed held a deep conviction that an understanding the past was essential to shaping the nation for the benefit of future generations. His passion for exploring the UAE's ancient heritage and celebrating the diverse influences that shaped Emirati culture led to the establishment of the country's first museum in Al Ain in 1971, followed by the opening of the Cultural Foundation in 1981. 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 discoveries, from the world's oldest falaj irrigation system to traces of Bronze Age copper mining, stand as enduring evidence of the ingenuity and resilience of the UAE's earliest communities and reflect Sheikh Zayed's commitment to bringing the nation's ancient history to light.
The museum highlights will include the Abu Dhabi Pearl, one of the world's oldest natural pearls, shedding new light on the history of pearling in the Arabian Gulf; the Blue Qur'an, one of Islamic art's finest manuscripts; and a recreation of an ancient Magan Boat, the outcome of the museum's first research partnership with Zayed University and New York University Abu Dhabi.
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, the museum's design embodies the heritage of the UAE which is at the forefront of its sustainable design. Five steel structures rise above the museum and are inspired by the wing of a falcon in flight with falconry considered a practice that is an integral part of Emirati culture.
The museum will offer an inclusive and accessible experience that connects people across generations and geographies. Through its galleries, learning programmes and pioneering research, it will bring global perspectives and into dialogue with the UAE's heritage and contemporary identity. From inspiring young people and engaging People of Determination and senior citizens, to driving international scholarship, Zayed National Museum will stand as a dynamic platform for cultural exchange and shared understanding.
As part of Saadiyat Cultural District's mission to foster diverse dialogue and promote cultural equity, Zayed National Museum will present collections and narratives that celebrate the region's rich heritage and represent Abu Dhabi's role as a crossroads of civilisations. It will stand alongside several globally renowned cultural institutions within the district, including Louvre Abu Dhabi, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, the upcoming Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, reinforcing Abu Dhabi's role as a global meeting place for culture, ideas, and innovation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 days ago
- The National
There's more to Abu Dhabi's mangroves plan than restoring them
As the tides shift and the climate narrative grows ever more urgent, I find myself reflecting on a remarkable story unfolding in the heart of the Arabian Gulf. Mangroves have long been revered in the country. The UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, personally oversaw large scale restoration of mangroves in the 1970s. His vision transformed Abu Dhabi's coastlines into laboratories of environmental stewardship. Today, we are reaping the rewards of that legacy. A 2020 habitat mapping study by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) revealed a 92 per cent increase in the emirate's mangrove cover between 1987 and 2021. This is the result of conservation and restoration efforts, including the planting of 51.5 million mangroves to date. But this is not just about numbers. Our dominant native species, Avicennia marina, or grey mangrove, has adapted to some of the harshest coastal conditions on Earth. Without requiring freshwater, these trees survive extreme salinity, high temperatures and the shifting nature of tidal zones. In an era of climate disruption, they are survivors. Globally, mangroves are finally gaining recognition as high-value, nature-based solutions. They store up to 10 times more carbon than terrestrial forests, are nurseries for marine life, barriers against storm surges and enrich biodiversity both above and below the waterline. Losing mangroves means losing critical protection for millions of people living in coastal areas worldwide. An estimated 748 million people live within the first five kilometres of a shoreline; approximately 10 per cent of the world's population. The next five-km band contains approximately 343.5 million people – accounting for an additional 4.6 per cent of the Earth's population. Losing mangroves also means forfeiting a vital carbon sink in the fight against climate change. The good news is that global mangrove loss has slowed to between 0.04 per cent and 0.7 per cent per year. But while the rate of deforestation declines, new challenges emerge: habitat fragmentation, sea-level rise and rapid coastal development threaten the functional integrity of mangrove ecosystems. Mangroves are resilient, adaptable and remarkably attuned to change. By 2035, climate shifts will likely reshape where and how these forests thrive. Globally, rising seas, changing salinity and stronger storms may cause die-offs in some areas and expansions in others. In warmer regions, flowering and fruiting may begin earlier, while higher latitudes could see mangroves taking root for the first time. The phenological changes and possible geographical shifts due to contraction and expansion of mangroves will offer an opportunity for conservation. Protecting existing mangroves is critical. To outpace climate change, however, we must restore with precision, focusing on coastal zones and mangrove genotypes most likely to thrive in tomorrow's conditions. That's why EAD works closely with scientists to model future scenarios and guide restoration where it will have the greatest long-term impact. Last year, EAD began a project to expand its study of carbon storage and sequestration rates across different blue carbon habitats. The study gave us the latest data on carbon storage and sequestration, and added to our previous studies. One of the most important findings was that saltmarshes in Abu Dhabi are storing more carbon than previously expected. The study also revealed significant differences between sites, highlighting the need for location-specific data to guide conservation. Overall, the updated data for mangroves, saltmarshes, seagrasses and microbial mats reinforces how vital these habitats are to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. The project helped us expand the scope and coverage of our carbon sampling making the dataset available for carbon sequestration rates in Abu Dhabi amongst the most robust globally in terms of coverage and statistical representation. In Abu Dhabi, 3,000 square kilometres of seagrass meadows sequester an estimated 44,100 tonnes of carbon annually. This is equivalent to offsetting the emissions from roughly 22,000 one-way flights between London and Abu Dhabi - highlighting the vital role these coastal ecosystems play in climate mitigation. These findings will help shape planning, informing restoration priorities, identifying key conservation zones and reinforcing protection efforts with robust evidence. They also set a new benchmark for science-driven marine conservation and contribute to support the UAE's national climate goals. The Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative (ADMI), launched in 2022, is Abu Dhabi's flagship programme for mangrove research, restoration and community engagement. It is mobilising resources towards science-based mangrove restoration and helping develop and use technologies that can redefine how the world restores mangroves. ADMI has also developed the UAE's first national Mangrove Restoration Guidelines, launched in 2024 with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Emirates Nature-WWF and other national partners. These guidelines offer a roadmap for restoration across ecological zones, blending traditional techniques with new technology. They include comprehensive guidance on drone-assisted seed dispersal – an approach EAD has been piloting with its partners since 2020 and which positions Abu Dhabi as a global leader in scaling restoration through precision and innovation. In April, Abu Dhabi supported the single most important scientific assessment of mangrove species worldwide by hosting the world's first Mangrove Week through ADMI. The event was supported by key partners Adnoc and the Zoological Society of London, to explore mangrove science and solutions. A major highlight was the first comprehensive global Red List assessment of mangrove species in more than 15 years. The assessment evaluated the conservation status of over 70 mangrove species worldwide, providing data that will inform priorities, investments and policy action for the most at-risk species. EAD will soon release the first-ever mangrove monitoring toolkit for the Arabian Gulf Region. Restoration is not just planting. It must restore function, support biodiversity, consider seascape connectivity and be designed for the long term. And EAD is aligning its efforts with the Global Mangrove Alliance and the Mangrove Breakthrough, an international initiative to mobilise political, financial and technical support to halt mangrove loss and restore 15 million hectares globally by 2030. Abu Dhabi is proud to contribute to that initiative, not only through funding and technical support but by developing scalable models that other coastal cities can adopt. Our vision for 2035 is to position Abu Dhabi as one of the global capitals of mangrove research and innovation. By combining Abu Dhabi's natural advantages, such as the uniquely resilient Avicennia marina, with advanced data platforms, AI-powered monitoring systems, we are moving into a new era of precision mapping. This allows us to see more, act faster and restore smarter. Additionally, through our world-class scientific partnerships, we are creating an integrated model that unites innovation, policy and community action. Our priorities go beyond protecting and restoring mangroves. They focus on integrated coastal management and protection that ensures the connected seascapes continue to thrive and provide ecosystem services that are essential to health, well-being, the economy and overall quality of life. Our efforts to protect and restore mangroves and other blue carbon ecosystems are cornerstones of the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Strategy. Through ADMI, we are inviting residents and volunteers to take part in mangrove monitoring. Grassroots participation generates valuable insights that informs science-based decisions. By fostering awareness, stewardship and a sense of shared responsibility, conservation can be a collective journey. Abu Dhabi's story is not one of isolated success, but a growing global movement, anchored in science, accelerated by innovation and made possible through collaboration. Let us intensify our efforts to protect and restore, not just landscapes and seascapes, but the trust between people and planet.
Sharjah 24
3 days ago
- Sharjah 24
Social Education offers national identity programme to children
Instilling National Values The initiative aimed to instil national values in children and familiarise them with Emirati customs and traditions through an engaging educational approach that combines learning with enjoyment .
Al Etihad
3 days ago
- Al Etihad
‘Lest We Forget' initiative in Abu Dhabi: Telling the UAE story through people's core memories
4 Aug 2025 00:34 MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)Gathering heirloom jewellery, fading postcards, dusty photo albums, and personal narratives, a community-led initiative in Abu Dhabi is assembling a mosaic of lived experiences to tell the story of the We Forget is dedicated to archiving the vernacular cultural memory of the UAE, one voice at a time. Its roots are as personal and organic as the stories it preserves. It was an idea that originated from a class requirement: In 2012, a curatorial practices course at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi asked students to bring in family photographs. One of the students, a daughter of the late Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, showed an album titled 'Lest We Forget: Sheikh Sultan's Hunting Trip in Africa, 1974.' 'That's actually where we got the name,' Safiya Al Maskari, one of the initiative's founding members, told Aletihad . 'When she brought in her father's album, others were encouraged to bring their own. We realised we all had stories worth telling.'By 2014, the student-led project snowballed from a campus exhibition into an independent archival and research initiative backed by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation. The team interviews individuals across the UAE to uncover stories on what daily life was like before the country's skyscrapers and mega malls. 'We connect the images or objects we archive to oral memories. That's what gives each item its weight,' Al Maskari said. 'We ask, 'Why is this photograph important to you? What does this garment represent in your life?'' Since its inception, Lest We Forget has produced six key publications, each delving into a specific aspect of Emirati life and memory. Family Portraits and Encounters with Sheikh Zayed One of its earliest works is 'Emirati Family Photographs' (1950–1999), a visual anthology of personal milestones - from studio portraits to birthday celebrations and first cars, all categorised by themes and enriched by personal title, 'Emirati Adornment,' documents both the tangible and intangible aspects of Emirati identity through photographs or illustrations that portray dress codes and types of adornment, such as henna and fragrance, as well as weapons and of Al Maskari's favourite archival projects — 'Sheikh Zayed: a Century of Memories' — captures personal encounters with the UAE's Founding Father.'For the Year of Zayed, we collected 100 stories from 100 individuals, who shared a memory of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, even if they didn't know him personally and saw him while they were walking with their family on the Corniche and he drove by and waved at them,' she said. 'This book is all about that. It's a very emotional publication. There are a lot of funny stories, heartfelt ones. You get to know Sheikh Zayed as an individual through other people's eyes. You see that he wasn't just any leader; to a lot of people, he felt like a father figure.'Other publications include 'Structures of Memory in the UAE,' a visual and narrative study of the architectural evolution of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah from 1914 to Abu Dhabi, produced in collaboration with NYU Abu Dhabi, features postcards from the founding years of the UAE, collected by Dr. Mohammed Al Mansouri, whose father once worked at the local post office. All these publications are available through Dukhan 421 store at 421, an independent platform dedicated to supporting emerging artists in the UAE and across the region. Capturing PerspectivesWhat distinguishes the initiative is its deep respect for personal narratives. 'We don't always fact-check every detail unless it's historically significant,' Al Maskari explained. 'Because what we're capturing is people's perspectives, their truth.'She believes that this mosaic of voices and memories is what builds the fuller story of the UAE. 'You ask 10 people about the same event, like the 22nd National Day and you'll get 10 different memories. One celebrated at the Corniche, another at home. Put them together, and you get a beautiful, multifaceted story.'Al Maskari hopes that Lest We Forget grows into a catalyst for community-driven preservation efforts. 'I want people to understand the importance of documenting and archiving,' she said. 'Sometimes all it takes is picking up your phone, sitting down with a grandparent, and asking them to tell you a story.'
