Abu Dhabi’s Zayed National Museum to open on December 3 in Saadiyat Cultural District

Zayed National Museum, the national museum of the United Arab Emirates located in the heart of Saadiyat Cultural District, will open to the public on 3rd December 2025.

Zayed National Museum will present the history of the UAE through an immersive journey that spans from ancient times to the present day. It will blend archaeological artefacts and historic objects with audiovisual and sensory experiences, as well as contemporary installations.

The landmark institution honours the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his commitment to cultural heritage, education, identity and belonging.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said, “As the national museum of the UAE, sitting at the heart of Saadiyat Cultural District, Zayed National Museum presents the story of our land, our people, and our heritage in a way that is alive, evolving, and open to all. The museum reflects the vision and values of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, whose belief in culture, education, and knowledge continues to guide us.

“History and innovation come together within the museum, creating a space where dialogue, learning, and exchange can flourish, and where visitors of all generations can engage with our nation’s journey from its ancient roots to its aspirations for the future. In opening these doors, we reaffirm our commitment to culture as a source of knowledge, connection, and inspiration for generations to come. The inauguration of Zayed National Museum is a defining milestone in the enduring cultural journey of Abu Dhabi.”

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, visitors will follow a pathway that traces the earliest evidence of human inhabitation, explores how civilisations lived and thrived over centuries, highlights connections through trade routes and celebrates the distinctive elements of Emirati culture and heritage. Sheikh Zayed’s legacy and values are embedded within the narrative throughout.

The museum journey begins at Al Masar Garden, an outdoor gallery that will welcome visitors into the landscapes that formed life in the UAE. Stretching 600 metres from the Saadiyat coast, between Louvre Abu Dhabi and the upcoming Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, to the museum entrance, Al Masar Garden features native plants and trees representing desert, oasis and urban environments. It also includes a working falaj irrigation system, artistic sculptures, multisensory installations and a timeline charting the life of Sheikh Zayed and the history of the UAE.

Zayed National Museum’s collection includes more than 3,000 pieces, of which 1,500 will be on display, each carefully chosen for the story it tells about the history of the land.

The journey through the permanent galleries starts in Our Beginning, which is dedicated to the life and leadership of Sheikh Zayed. His story will be narrated through recordings of his voice, archive photographs and film footage, personal belongings, letters, donations and installations.

Visitors will be introduced to the UAE’s foundational years, while tracing the historical and cultural influences that shaped the UAE’s Founding Father. From his early life in Al Ain Region to the role he played in unifying the Emirates, this gallery will highlight the stories that defined Sheikh Zayed’s legacy and continue to inspire the nation today.

Using artistic dioramas, natural specimens and multimedia installations, the Through Our Nature gallery immerses visitors to Zayed National Museum in the diverse landscapes that exist within the UAE. The gallery also examines the geography’s historical impact, over millennia, on the nature that sustains life in the country's mountains, desert, oases and sea.

The museum narrative then expands across time in the gallery “To Our Ancestors”. This gallery will display the outcomes of archaeological excavations that revealed 300,000 years of human presence on this land. From one of the world’s oldest pearls to a detailed recreation of the Hili Grand Tomb, visitors will gain an insight into what archaeologists have discovered about the people of this land up until the Bronze Age.

Visitors will then move to the “Through Our Connections” gallery, which spans from the Iron Age 3,000 years ago up until the 1100s CE. This gallery shows the broadening horizons of the people of the ancient emirates and how the impact of new technologies, materials, knowledge and faith led to an emerging shared identity, including the development of the Arabic language and the dawn of Islam.

Meanwhile, the UAE’s rich maritime heritage and history over the last five centuries will unfold in the “By Our Coasts” gallery, which will highlight the cultural identity shaped from the time of the renowned navigator Ibn Majid, to the pearl divers of the last century as well as the UAE’s role in commercial and cultural exchange.

The museum journey concludes in the gallery “To Our Roots,” which continues the exploration of Emirati identity by looking at the traditional lifestyle, customs and social and economic practices that prevailed in the inland areas of the UAE.

To mark the museum’s opening, a varied programme of performances, workshops, tours and activities will provide visitors with opportunities to explore the museum and take part in this milestone. Food and beverage options will also be available, including the fine dining Emirati restaurant Erth, Al Ghaf Cafe and the Garden Cafes.

Zayed National Museum will stand alongside several globally renowned cultural institutions, including Louvre Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, as well as the upcoming Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

As part of the Saadiyat Cultural District, it creates spaces for dialogue, cultural exchange and discovery, shaping Abu Dhabi’s role as a global platform where ideas, creativity, heritage and innovation converge. 

WAM