Abu Dhabi unveils plans for Natural History Museum

Abu Dhabi is getting a Natural History Museum, which is due to open its doors in Saadiyat Cultural District in 2025.

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, announced the launch of the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi project

It will be the largest of its kind in the region, and will showcase some of the rarest natural specimens ever found, taking visitors on a 13.8 billion-year journey through time and space.

A highlight of the museum will be 'Stan', a 67 million year-old, 39-foot-long (11.7 metres) Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton.

It is one of the best preserved and most studied fossils of this iconic predator from the Late Cretaceous Period.

'Stan' will be joined by an extraordinary Murchison Meteorite specimen, which famously crash-landed in Australia more than 40 years ago and has since revealed to scientists new information about the early solar system.

Conceived and developed by the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) in partnership with Miral, the new museum will be a scientific research and teaching institution and an educational resource for learning about the evolving story of our planet, aiming to ignite a life-long passion for the natural world in visitors of all ages.

Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed launches the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi project, which will showcase some of the rarest natural specimens ever found and take visitors on a 13.8 billion-year natural history journey through earth and space. pic.twitter.com/zZaAXSDzwh

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) March 23, 2022

When complete, the new Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi will show some of rarest natural history specimens ever found, including ‘Stan’, a 67 million year-old T. rex skeleton and the 7 billion year-old Murchison Meteorite, which reveals information about the early solar system. pic.twitter.com/VK20TD1P9Q

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) March 23, 2022

With a focus on immersive displays, curated collections with exceptional specimens, and innovative, interactive mediations, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi galleries will take visitors on a journey back to the very beginning of time, narrating the evolution of our universe, the Earth's formation, and the history of life on our planet – as well as providing a glimpse into our possible future.

It will also for the first time present the history of life on Earth through an Arabian lens, where local natural assets of fauna, flora and the geological history of the region will be part of the visitor journey.

Within the museum, the innovative scientific research facility will undertake studies in areas including zoology, palaeontology, marine biology, molecular research (aDNA and proteomics), and earth sciences.

Covering an area of more than 35,000 sqm, lead architects Mecanoo designed the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi to resonate with natural rock formations, reflecting the museum’s goal of improving understanding of and engagement with the natural world.

The museum will join the diverse cultural institutions and museums in the Saadiyat Cultural District, which include Louvre Abu Dhabi and the upcoming Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, as part of Abu Dhabi’s strategy to position the emirate as a centre for culture, arts and creativity.