First look: Inside Zayed National Museum, an awesome landmark befitting the UAE’s rich history

Its oblong wings loom over the architectural panorama of the Saadiyat Cultural District, forming a new landmark on Abu Dhabi’s skyline, but Zayed National Museum stands apart from its impressive neighbours by more than its silhouette.

While other cultural institutions built displays with international collaboration, Zayed National Museum’s collection has come predominantly from local sources. Cultural organisations and private collectors from across the UAE have pooled their artefacts to tell the country’s history in a way that has never been done before.

The museum represents a nationwide effort that resonates with the name of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. This symbolism will be underscored when the museum opens to the public on Wednesday, a day after the UAE celebrates its 54th anniversary.

It is “a museum of the history of the United Arab Emirates as a country and as a land,” said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

To tell the story of the UAE, the museum linked up with cultural institutions, archeological institutions and museums, Al Mubarak explained. Emirati families, whose heirlooms and lived experiences play a vital role in the museum’s displays, have also contributed.

Our Beginning highlights the story of Sheikh Zayed and his vision for the UAE. Victor Besa / The National

Much of the UAE's history – and what came before over the past few hundred years – has been passed verbally from one generation to the next, said Al Mubarak. Bringing those stories together to share in the museum created “fantastic community exchanges”, he added, describing the process as “very beautiful”.

The museum displays old doors from a house in Ras Al Khaimah, artefacts from the UAE’s maritime past and footage of Sheikh Zayed roving along steep dunes in a Chrysler sedan among myriad archival material. Personal journals, postcards and documents are animated through interactive screens, which let users flip through testimonies from citizens and residents.

The museum interior is designed with rounded edges and features globular structures. Victor Besa / The National

“Our cultural strategy is embedded in showcasing and enhancing the history, culture and heritage of the land and its people,” Al Mubarak said, adding that he means “all the people of this land, not just Emiratis”.

The museum experience begins in its outdoor gallery, Al Masar Garden – a l