Zayed National Museum

Zayed National Museum is the national museum of the UAE, opened on 3 December 2025 in the Saadiyat Cultural District. It tells the story of the country and its Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, from a 300,000-year-old stone tool to the present day. The Foster + Partners building is inspired by the wings of a falcon in flight.

What to see

The collection fills six permanent galleries: Our Beginning, Through Our Nature, To Our Ancestors, Through Our Connections, By Our Coasts and To Our Roots. The story opens with a stone tool found at Jebel Hafit near Al Ain. About 1,500 of more than 3,000 objects are on display, among them a Ming dynasty pomegranate dish (1426–1435), a coin of the ruler Abiel and stucco from the 7th–8th-century church on Sir Bani Yas island.

The most striking exhibit is an 18-metre reconstruction of a Bronze Age Magan boat. It was built from 15 tonnes of reeds bound with date-palm rope, with no metal fasteners and a goat-hair sail, using techniques from around 2100 BCE. Outdoors, Al Masar Garden tells Sheikh Zayed's story through native plants in three zones: desert, oasis and city.

Getting there

The museum is in the Cultural District of Saadiyat Island, next to Louvre Abu Dhabi. Driving or taking a taxi is easiest: it is a short ride from downtown and about 25 minutes from the airport. Parking is free, and a shuttle links the museums in the district. The nearest city bus stop is on route 94 at the Abrahamic Family House, a few minutes' walk away.

Planning your visit

Adult tickets cost AED 70. Entry is free for visitors under 18 (children under 12 must be with an adult), Emiratis and residents over 60, and People of Determination with a companion. It is easiest to book online. Allow two to three hours for the galleries and the garden; the museum combines well with Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Natural History Museum and the Abrahamic Family House next door.

Before you go

Dress modestly. Large bags and luggage are not allowed inside and go to the cloakroom by the entrance. There is a prayer room, an ATM and free Wi-Fi, and you can eat at Erth restaurant, Al Ghaf Cafe and the garden cafes.