Abu Dhabi’s Zayed National Museum to open in December 2025

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Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi’s Zayed National Museum is scheduled to open in December 2025, joining the Louvre Abu Dhabi in the city’s Saadiyat Cultural District.

The museum, which spans 300,000 years of human history, celebrates the legacy of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and chronicles the story of the emirates.

The opening marks the first of three major museums expected to debut on Saadiyat Island in 2025 and comes amid increasing interest in the region’s heritage, with arts and culture now topping the wish list for inbound visitors to the GCC, according to PwC Middle East.

Designed by Foster + Partners, the museum’s architecture is inspired by Emirati culture, with five soaring steel towers evoking the wings of a falcon and functioning as solar thermal chimneys.

Foster + Partner's rendering of Zayed National Museum

Inside, visitors will find six permanent galleries, offering an immersive journey through the UAE’s natural landscapes, ancient heritage, coastal traditions and cultural evolution.

The collection includes artefacts from across the UAE, heritage-related donations and both domestic and international loans.

Highlights include the Abu Dhabi Pearl, one of the world’s oldest natural pearls that sheds light on the Arabian Gulf’s ancient pearling traditions, as well as the Blue Qu’ran, a renowned manuscript from the 9th–10th centuries considered one of Islamic art’s greatest treasures.

The museum will also showcase a full-scale recreation of a Bronze Age Magan Boat, constructed using traditional materials and techniques.

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Outside, the Masar Garden — a 600-metre landscaped trail — will feature native Emirati plants, interactive installations, animal-inspired sculptures and a working falaj irrigation system.

The museum will offer guided tours, workshops, talks and educational activities to enrich the visitor experience.

Saadiyat Island experienced a record-breaking year for tourism in 2024, driven by its museums, cultural attractions and luxury resorts. Visitor numbers rose by 10% compared to 2023, marking the highest annual growth on record for the island.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi played a pivotal role, attracting more than 1.4 million visitors in 2024, its busiest year to date.

Looking ahead, Abu Dhabi aims is targeting 9.3 million visitors a year by 2030, supported by new landmarks including the Zayed National Museum, as well as the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Natural History Museum, expected to open by the end of 2025.

For more information, visit zayednationalmuseum