ABU DHABI: The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi opened its doors on Saturday, marking the latest opening in the capital city’s Saadiyat Cultural District — also home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum and the upcoming Guggenheim, among other attractions.
The 35,000-sq-m space explores 13.8 billion years of history, with standout showcases including a near-complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, dubbed Stan; a 25-meter female blue whale; and the Murchison meteorite, which contains particles that date back to before our solar system was formed.
The 35,000-sq-m space explores 13.8 billion years of history. (Supplied)
“If there was ever a museum that can continuously instill a level of curiosity and imagination in our youth, it is this one,” Mohamed Khalifa Al-Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi, said at a media roundtable ahead of the official opening.
“If we do our job right, then every visitor leaving this museum will have a spiritual connection to this land, to the earth that we live in,” he added.
Brydes Whale. (Supplied)
Across the galleries, the natural history of the Arabian Peninsula forms a central part of the museum’s narrative, highlighting the region’s contribution to Earth’s story. Among the discoveries found in Abu Dhabi is an extinct species of elephant known as Stegotetrabelodon emiratus. This ancient member of the Elephantidae family was distinguished by tusks in both its upper and lower jaws — a rare trait unseen in modern elephants — offering visitors a glimpse into the evolutionary journey of these creatures and reflecting the region’s natural heritage.
“All our museums are museums for storytellers, and it’s a museum for story listeners and that goes back again to the history of this land. Historically, we’ve been storytellers. Our forefathers sat in deserts with bonfires telling stories of the past, and we were just sort of mirroring that in our museum,” Al-Mubarak said.
March of the Triceratops. (Supplied)
To mark the launch, the museum will present three temporary exhibitions: The March of the Triceratops, in collaboration with the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands; and the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year, featuring 100 wildlife images from around the world, in collaboration with London’s Natural History Museum. Finally, a 20-minute presentation, A Journey Through Time, allows guests to “witness the explosive birth of the universe,” according to the website.
