Zayed National Museum on Saadiyat Island
The history of the UAE and its founder, Sheikh Zayed, told in five steel towers shaped like falcon feathers.
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AED 70 (≈ $19)ticket
Daily 10:00–20:00opening hours
28 minwalk to the beach
25 minfrom the airport
In short
Zayed National Museum is the national museum of the United Arab Emirates, on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. It opened to the public in December 2025 and is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the country's founding president. If you search for the "Zayed museum" on Saadiyat or the "Saadiyat national museum," this is the one. It is a separate place from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque on the mainland.
The building is by Foster + Partners. Five steel towers, 123 meters tall, rise above the galleries. Their shape comes from a falcon's wing feathers, and they work as thermal chimneys that draw warm air out of the building.
Inside, six permanent galleries with more than 1,500 objects cover 300,000 years of the region's history, from prehistoric times to the union of the Emirates and the life of Sheikh Zayed. Outside, the 600-meter Al Masar Garden works as an open-air gallery. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
Tickets & prices
- AdultAED 70 (≈ $19)
- StudentAED 35 (≈ $10)
- Under 18Free
as of October 2026
The ticket covers the six permanent galleries and the Al Masar Garden. Guided tours and workshops need booking in advance.
Opening hours
Daily 10:00–20:00
Open daily, 10:00–20:00, with last entry one hour before closing. Hours can change on public holidays and during Ramadan.
as of October 2026
What to see
- The five towers: At 123 meters, the towers are the museum's landmark. Walk around the outside before you go in.
- The Magan boat: A reconstruction of a Bronze Age boat stands in the atrium.
- Early Qur'an pages: Folios from a Qur'an written in Kufic script, dated to the 8th–9th century.
- A 16th-century prayer book: A book of prayers for each day of the week, written in Arabic.
- The galleries on Sheikh Zayed and the union: They cover the founding of the UAE in 1971 and the life of its first president.
- The Al Masar Garden: A 600-meter outdoor gallery, included in the ticket.
Tips
- What to wear. Dress modestly: adults should cover their shoulders and knees.
- Combine it with the Louvre. The two museums are a few minutes apart in the Cultural District. Seeing both takes half a day or a little more.
- With children. The route through the galleries includes interactive displays; with children, plan on 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Book tours ahead. Guided tours and workshops need advance booking, so reserve before your visit if you want one.
- Go later in the day. The museum stays open into the evening every day, later than the Louvre on weekdays, so it fits after a morning on the beach.
Getting there
From the airport
About 25 min by taxi, roughly AED 75 (≈ $20).
From the Louvre Abu Dhabi
A few minutes by taxi within the Cultural District.
From downtown Abu Dhabi
About 15 min by taxi.
