In Abu Dhabi, French photographer Jack Burlot, 78, stands inside the newly opened Zayed National Museum, confronted with a past he did not expect would resonate so deeply. Seeing his photographs of UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, displayed within a national institution proved more powerful than anticipated.
“I had goosebumps,” he tells The National. “I was almost crying.”
The museum on Saadiyat Cultural District traces the story of the UAE as both land and nation, drawing on artefacts contributed largely by Emirati families and local institutions.
For Burlot, what matters most is not scale or spectacle, but intent. The experience also brought his personal journey with the UAE, and his connection to Sheikh Zayed, into sharper focus.
He reflects on Sheikh Zayed’s Bedouin heritage and vision for the UAE, noting that while oil played a role in the nation’s development, it was leadership that truly shaped its course. “He could see the future of his country,” says Burlot.
Jack Burlot speaks of pride and privilege at seeing his photographs displayed at newly op
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