ArtDayME: Zayed National Museum will open to the public on December 3, 2025, in Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District. Ticket prices are set at AED 70 for adults and AED 35 for university students and teachers in the UAE, while minors, senior Emiratis and residents, people of determination, and accredited journalists will have free entry. Tickets can be booked in hourly time slots.

The museum’s opening programme will include performances, tours, workshops, and interactive activities. On-site dining options will feature Erth, Al Ghaf Café, and Garden Cafes.

Developed by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the museum is dedicated to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the broader history of the United Arab Emirates.

Designed by Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, the building is distinguished by five steel towers inspired by falcon wings. The site also features Al Masar Garden — a 600-metre landscaped route connecting the Louvre Abu Dhabi with the Zayed National Museum and the forthcoming Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. The garden integrates native plants, a working falaj irrigation system, sculptures, installations, and a timeline highlighting Sheikh Zayed’s life and milestones in the nation’s history.

Inside, the museum will present galleries covering around 300,000 years of history, showcasing over 3,000 artefacts — with more than 1,500 on display. Exhibits will explore the leadership and life of Sheikh Zayed, the UAE’s natural environments, archaeological finds such as a 300,000-year-old stone tool and a reconstructed Hili Grand Tomb, trade and cultural exchange from the Iron Age to the 12th century CE, maritime heritage featuring navigator Ibn Majid and the pearl diving era, and inland life before the discovery of oil.