Zayed National Museum honours heritage through design

A new cultural landmark shaped by storytelling and sustainability

Proudly positioned within Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District, the Zayed National Museum stands as a striking new presence in the capital, honouring the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates.

With the announcement of its opening in December 2025, the museum will be a space filled with 300,000 years of stories about the people and culture of the UAE. It is shaped by Sheikh Zayed’s vision of unity, leadership, sustainability and a deep respect for heritage.

Art in the Middle discussed the key design elements with Mouza Al Qemzi, Design and Development Unit Head at the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi.

Mouza oversees a team that includes designers, global architecture firm Foster + Partners, and engineering lead WSP. Her work on the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat’s masterplan informs a deep architectural understanding, ensuring the museum feels part of the land -from foundation to finish.

Shaped by Emirati voices

“From the outset, Emirati community leaders, artists, historians, educators and universities shaped the museum’s design and content,” says Mouza. In 2019, she was selected as one of 50 creatives to help craft the national brand of the UAE, a campaign that focused on storytelling, cultural identity and shared values. Her leadership in this project draws from that same vision: that architecture, like branding, can communicate who we are and where we are headed.

The Zayed National Museum hosts six permanent galleries, where the past is recreated to the present day.

Our Beginning frames the Founding Father’s life with authenticity and warmth.

Through Our Nature immerses visitors in the landscapes that shaped Emirati life.

To Our Ancestors traces 300,000 years of human presence.

Through Our Connections explores trade, Arabic language and the spread of Islam.

By Our Coasts delves into maritime traditions of pearling, fishing and seafaring - that shaped identity.

To Our Roots examines inland customs and social practices that continue today. Each space is not just curated; it is crafted to invite reflection and narrative.

Outside, visitors can explore the 600‑metre Al Masar garden, a landscaped path stretching from the coast to the museum’s entrance. It tells Sheikh Zayed’s story through the desert, oasis and urban landscapes that inspired him. Al Masar functions as a living narrative, featuring native plants and traditional falaj irrigation channels, offering a sensory introduction to the museum’s themes of heritage, ecology and innovation.

Inspired by the falcon

The museum’s most striking feature comprises five soaring towers, shaped like the wing feathers of a falcon. We spoke with Mouza about the representation of falcons and their deeply symbolic meaning in the United Arab Emirates. She explains that they represent strength, heritage, freedom and vision - qualities Sheikh Zayed embodied.

Norman Foster, from Foster + Partners, designed the towers to be both elegant and purposeful. "Inspired by traditional barjeel wind towers, these structures honour heritage while offering modern sustainability," Mouza explains. Barjeel structures have long been used across the region to naturally ventilate buildings. At Zayed National Museum, that principle is reimagined at architectural scale.

“These towers are not only sculptural elements. They are part of the building’s sustainable design, acting as solar thermal chimneys. Warm air is drawn upward through the towers, while cooler air is pulled through the base, creating a natural ventilation system inspired by the traditional barjeel,” she adds.

A sustainable vision

Zayed National Museum has earned a Three Pearl Design Rating, a rigorous regional sustainability standard. Sustainability is embedded and not added, the earth‑mound form minimises heat gain, solar collectors provide hot water, native planting reduces irrigation needs, and smart systems reduce energy use. Durable, locally sourced materials reflect the natural landscape.

What to expect inside

Visitors will first notice the museum’s white concrete exterior, designed to mirror the pale pristine sands of Saadiyat Island. Inside, filtered daylight enters through narrow vertical openings, casting patterns that shift throughout the day. The spaces are calm and contemplative, sculpted not just to house objects, but to immerse visitors in the story.

Among the museum’s key highlights is an 18‑metre Magan boat, assembled on site and prominently displayed in the atrium. This traditional wooden vessel tells the story of the UAE’s maritime heritage. Once used for fishing, pearl diving and coastal trade, the Magan stands as a powerful reminder of the ingenuity and resilience of coastal communities. As Mouza puts it, “It’s more than an exhibit, it’s a storytelling vessel.” Visitors can walk alongside the boat’s full length, experiencing first-hand the scale and craftsmanship that defined everyday life along the Arabian Gulf.

“Once opened, there will be public programmes that include workshops, tours, talks, conferences, musical and theatrical performances, heritage demonstrations and community engagements”, tells Mouza. 

Zayed National Museum invites us to reflect and to connect. As its doors prepare to open, the museum stands ready to welcome the world into the UAE’s story, not just its history, but its aspirations, rooted deeply in land, legacy and light.

Visit: zayednationalmuseum.ae