Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi to open 22 November

The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi will open its doors on 22 November in the Saadiyat Cultural District, offering visitors the chance to explore the story of life on Earth through an immersive scientific and cultural experience.

 

Spanning 35,000 square metres, the museum will be the largest of its kind in the region, with exhibitions tracing 13.8 billion years of natural history, from the Big Bang to the age of dinosaurs.

 

For the first time, this global narrative is “framed through an Arabian lens”, spotlighting the region’s flora, fauna and geological evolution, and their role in shaping Earth’s story.

 

The opening marks the first of three major museums set to debut on Saadiyat Island, and comes amid a surge in cultural tourism across the region, with arts and culture now topping the wish list for inbound visitors to the GCC, according to PwC Middle East. 

 

Designed by acclaimed Dutch architects Mecanoo, the museum’s exterior takes inspiration from natural rock formations. Inside, 10 permanent galleries and exhibitions are complemented by an Interactive Theatre offering immersive visual displays and educational programmes.

 

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Among the star exhibits are a near-complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, affectionately known as Stan, and a 25-metre female blue whale specimen. 

 

Visitors can also see the Murchison Meteorite – containing grains dating back seven billion years, predating the Solar System – and regional discoveries such as fossils from extinct elephant species Stegotetrabelodon emiratus, known for having tusks in both its upper and lower jaws.

 

Permanent galleries include The Story of Earth, The Evolving World, Our World, Resilient Planet and Earth’s Future, alongside side galleries such as The PalaeoLab, The Life Sciences Lab, Arabia’s Climate, Beyond the Horizon and The Human Story. 

 

Two temporary exhibitions will open alongside the museum’s debut: The March of the Triceratops, featuring the world’s only touring Triceratops herd, and Wildlife Photographer of the Year, celebrating the 61st edition of the renowned nature photography competition.