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By Wendy Wyatt
  • The Abrahamic Family House, opened in 2023, serves as an interfaith cultural landmark dedicated to learning, dialogue, and worship. Its design embodies the shared values of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, featuring three main buildings — a synagogue, a church, and a mosque.
  • Louvre Abu Dhabi reflects the dynamic essence of the contemporary Arab world while celebrating the region’s rich multicultural heritage. Its exhibitions champion cultural achievements spanning from prehistory to the present day. Rather than being separated by geography, the galleries are thoughtfully arranged in chronological order, fostering respect, curiosity, learning, and self-reflection. Agence France-Muséums manages the loan of artworks to this UAE museum and provides expert management.
  • The Zayed National Museum, set to open in 2025, will serve as the UAE’s national museum, narrating the story of the land and its people. The museum’s curation draws inspiration from the values and beliefs of the UAE’s Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It encompasses education, conservation, the environment, sustainability, heritage, culture, humanitarianism, and faith. The museum offers a comprehensive overview of the natural and human history of the land, promoting a deeper understanding of the country’s culture, geography, and its global connections.
  • Scheduled to open in 2025, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be a pivotal hub for modern and contemporary art, bridging Europe, Asia, and North America. It adopts an inclusive perspective on art history, emphasising the convergence of local, regional, and international sources of creativity.
  • The Al Ain Museum, established in 1969, stands as the oldest museum in the UAE. It offers valuable insights into the local traditions and culture that have shaped the region. Serving as a centre for conservation, study, and the exhibition of Abu Dhabi’s archaeological and ethnographical wealth.
  • The Yas Creative Hub, also known as twofour54, is Yas Island’s newly developed entertainment and media zone. Designed to inspire, nurture, and accelerate the future of content creation and the creative industries in Abu Dhabi, it provides a collaborative ecosystem and cutting-edge infrastructure to empower creative endeavours. Spanning over 2.9 million square feet (270,000 sq.m), the hub features state-of-the-art production facilities, sound studios, a Community Hub, a Gaming Hub, and flexible working spaces, expected to attract over 10,000 professionals.

Images copyright © Getty Images / Canva

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Key Facts

  • In Arabic, abu means ‘father’ and dhabi means ‘gazelle’. Abu Dhabi, therefore, translates as: ‘Father of the Gazelle’.
  • Saadiyat Cultural District is the future home of Zayed National Museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Natural History Museum, and the teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, and other upcoming cultural landmarks that will build upon the legacy of the existing ones, such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Abrahamic Family House.
  • In 2021, Abu Dhabi was designated as City of Music by the UNESCO Creative City Network.
  • In 2019, the oldest known pearl in the world was discovered on Marawah Island, off the coast of Abu Dhabi. It is estimated to be around 8,000 years old.
  • Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi boasts the world’s fastest roller coaster. The Formula Rossa is more than 2.2 kilometres in track length and can reach speeds of over 240 kilometres per hour.

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