The Zayed National Museum, designed by Lord Norman Foster, a Pritzker Prize-winning architect, is inspired by the design of a falcon in flight, a symbol of Emirati heritage. The museum covers a narrative spanning 300,000 years of human history and celebrates the life and legacy of the UAE's founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It features six permanent exhibition galleries, an outdoor garden gallery, and a space for temporary exhibitions. The museum opened its doors to visitors on December 3rd of last year. The Zayed National Museum has been named to Time's list of the World's Greatest Places for 2026, making it one of only two places in the Middle East to be included in this prestigious annual list, which highlights 100 exceptional destinations worldwide. The museum is located in the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, one of the world's largest concentrations of cultural institutions. Among its key features is a full-scale reconstruction of an ancient Magan boat, the result of a pioneering research partnership with Zayed University and New York University Abu Dhabi. The museum's collection includes significant artifacts from across the UAE, such as the 'Pearl of Abu Dhabi', one of the oldest known natural pearls in the world, and the 'Blue Quran', considered one of the most exquisite manuscripts in the history of Islamic art.
