Overview
- President Sheikh Mohamed led the inauguration, with a rare public appearance by Sheikha Fatima and the rulers of all seven emirates in attendance.
- About 1,500 artefacts from a 3,000‑piece collection are on view at opening, headlined by an 18‑metre reconstruction of a Bronze Age Magan boat in the atrium.
- The five falcon‑wing steel towers by Foster + Partners double as thermal chimneys, with controlled daylight and electrochromic rooflights supporting passive cooling.
- Visitors approach via Al Masar Garden, a 600‑metre landscaped route from the coast featuring native planting, contemporary sculpture and a working falaj irrigation system.
- The museum launched a month‑long ‘Deep Roots and Everlasting Legacy’ programme of installations, workshops and guided tours to activate indoor and outdoor spaces through December.