When Zayed National Museum—the new national museum of the United Arab Emirates—announced last month that it would open in December 2025, the statement revealed little about its exhibition program, curatorial vision, geographic and social scope or cultural strategy. Situated in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s rapidly expanding Saadiyat Cultural District, the landmark institution will present 300,000 years of human history across six galleries on two floors, complemented by temporary exhibitions, an active research center and a dynamic slate of public programs. Its mission is to celebrate the history, culture and stories of the U.A.E.—narratives deeply intertwined with those of its neighbors and shaped by centuries of exchange as a hub of global trade.
What remains unclear is the storytelling approach that will bring this history to life—and how the museum intends to connect with contemporary audiences, both local and international. Observer set out to examine what—given its location, context and resources—has the potential to become one of the world’s most advanced museums. Following the announcement, and amid an intense period of preparation, we spoke with museum director Dr. Peter Magee about his vision for the program, the institution’s curatorial direction and its role within both the U.A.E. and the wider Arabian Gulf cultural landscape.
“A national museum tells the story of the place it inhabits, and that’s central to what we’re trying to do,” explains Dr. Magee, who spent more than two decades as a professor and later chair of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology at Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia before assuming his current role.
The idea of an ecosystem—specifically a “narrative ecosystem”—is at the heart of the museum’s place within the wider region. “Zayed National Museum will serve as an anchor institution of a narrative ecosystem—something that matters not just within the Saadiyat Cultural District, but across Abu Dhabi and the U.A.E.” The aim, Dr. Magee clarifies, is to always look outward, actively engaging with the broader regional and national picture.
Through this ecosystem, the museum will connect with other cultural institutions; embrace the universality of art; and address questions of modernity, modernism and contemporary practice, as seen at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, while also building links with the Natural History Museum. Together, these institutions will form a network of inquiry and exchange. “I often think of these museums and cultural institutions as a constellation,” says Dr. Magee. “Zayed National Museum is a particularly bright star in that constellation, but it shines most brightly when it works alongside the other stars and institutions that surround it.”
Once complete, the Saadiyat Cultural District will hold one of the densest concentrations of cultural institutions in the world. Even now, with construction still underway, Zayed National Museum dominates the skyline with its dramatic profile, inspired by the wing forms of the falcon—a national symbol of the U.A.E. and a personal passion of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, the building is monumental in its exterior presence yet, as Dr. Magee notes, warm and welcoming inside. “There’s a degree of monumentality to it—the architecture striking and deeply symbolic,” he says. “But when you walk into the museum, you also feel comfortable and at ease. The architecture has an intimacy that reflects how people should be able to approach their history and the ease with which they can engage with the objects on view.”
The exhibition path is being designed as a seamless, fluid experience, recalling the Louvre Abu Dhabi in its embrace of synchronicity and universality to showcase the course of human civilization, while placing particular focus on the trade networks and connections that have made the U.A.E. a pivotal center of global exchange from antiquity to today’s political stage.
“Within Zayed National Museum, we will explore the many layers of interconnection that exist—but, as the national museum of the U.A.E., those connections begin with the country itself,” Dr. Magee says. The galleries will trace these links across time: from 8,000 years ago, when boats from what is now Abu Dhabi sailed up the Arabian Gulf to Iraq trading pearls and ceramics; to 4,500 years ago, when U.A.E. vessels—one of which the museum has reconstructed—reached India and Pakistan to exchange goods. Two thousand years ago, those horizons stretched further still, as Roman artifacts discovered at U.A.E. archaeological sites reveal ties to the Mediterranean and the western Indian Ocean. By the 9th Century, trade routes extended to China, and by the 16th Century, they reached South America via the galleons.
“The museum will place these centuries-old trade routes in dialogue with the idea of globalism today,” Dr. Magee reveals. While globalism is often viewed as a modern concept, he emphasizes that the interconnected systems it describes have existed for millennia. “The U.A.E., both in antiquity and now, has been a true crossroads—an essential center of exchange between East and West.”
Notably, this vision aligns with the political and cultural narrative through which the U.A.E. presents itself today—as a multicultural hub of globalism. The new national museum will mirror that narrative, grounding it in objects and stories that lend historical depth to the country’s global role. “We often treat globalism as a modern concept, but in reality, interconnected systems have existed for centuries,” Dr. Magee points out. “The U.A.E.’s location has long made it a pivotal hub for trade between East and West—a role it played in antiquity and continues to play today.”
The museum’s position in the Saadiyat Cultural District underscores this point. “Our research team is constantly uncovering remarkable details—such as the fact that, just 200 years ago, this very spot had a different name,” he explains. “In Arabic, it was known as Ras Laffan, a place where large trading ships would dock to exchange goods. Even the name of the body of
Building on this multicultural framing, Zayed National Museum and its programming are designed to engage both the local community and an international audience. The goal is to deepen awareness of national history and identity among residents while offering visitors a vivid sense of place and the richness of the U.A.E. and the wider region’s culture. International visitation is expected to grow in the years ahead, as Abu Dhabi strengthens its standing as a global destination—home to a cluster of world-class institutions only minutes from a rapidly developing turquoise waterfront lined with luxury resorts and hotels.
“It’s for U.A.E. citizens, for residents and for a global audience. But a narrative centered on the U.A.E.—highlighting the achievements and values of Sheikh Zayed—naturally holds particular resonance for those who call the country home,” Dr. Magee remarks. “What we’re aiming to do is spark curiosity about these stories among the people who live here.”
In just a few decades, the U.A.E. has seen extraordinary growth in its cultural infrastructure—and with it, the rise of a dynamic, diverse audience for art and culture. That audience, Dr. Magee confirms, is expanding at a rapid pace.
“It’s about fostering a sense of curiosity—one that drives further research, questioning, and ideas. I’d love to see a school group visit the museum, then go home and ask their parents or grandparents about what they saw,” he reflects. “That spark of interest in the history and culture of this place is a major part of our mission. No museum can claim to know everything; what we can do is generate research and inspire curiosity—organizing that curiosity into paths of meaning.”
To reach this broad and growing public, Zayed National Museum will emphasize accessible storytelling, capable of connecting with a diverse, contemporary audience. Dr. Magee says the team is committed to being at the forefront of museography, not only in how objects are displayed but in exhibition designs that are visually striking and whose design language reinforces the narrative. “We wanted to create a sense of everything coming together, which is why the process has taken time. And this approach extends beyond the exhibition spaces into the museum as a whole—and beyond.”
Ancient objects and artifacts often risk being perceived as rarefied or difficult to understand, Dr. Magee notes, but the goal here is to create a relaxed, welcoming experience—from the architecture to the exhibitions to the museum’s tone of voice—while prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity. Among the highlights already announced are the Abu Dhabi Pearl, one of the world’s oldest natural pearls, offering new insight into the history of pearling in the Arabian Gulf; the Blue Qur’an, one of Islamic art’s most celebrated manuscripts; and a recreation of an ancient Magan Boat, developed through the museum’s first research partnership with Zayed University and New York University Abu Dhabi.
Yet the museum will not be solely about the past. “The museum is about the past, the present and the future—but above all, it’s about storytelling. We choose objects because they tell stories,” Dr. Magee says. “While it’s an object-based museum, the experience is also shaped by multimedia—audio, video, scent and other sensory elements woven into the narrative. Our aim is to give voice to the past.” Sometimes that means interpreting historical texts and documents, but more often it’s about making ancient objects—things that might otherwise seem obscure or distant—speak to visitors in ways they can relate to.
All communication—including text panels, captions and the multimedia guide—will be presented in both Arabic and English, with additional languages under consideration, from East Asian to Central European to South Asian, to engage a wider audience. “It ties back to our belief that the museum should feel welcoming and comfortable, including linguistically. We want visitors to feel at ease in their own language. I think that’s crucial for any museum.” The museum’s commitment to accessibility will also extend further, with inclusive features such as Braille and tactile tools ensuring visitors of all abilities feel fully welcomed and engaged.
Equally important for Dr. Magee is maintaining continuity between the narratives presented in the museum and those explored across other institutions in the district. Once the museum opens, visitors will be able to leave the Louvre Abu Dhabi, walk through the garden, turn left and enter Zayed National Museum via its 600-meter-long outdoor garden gallery—or turn right toward the Natural History Museum. “That kind of visitor-driven engagement is vital to me because it allows people to experience the universality of art at the Louvre, the 13.8-billion-year history of the Earth at the Natural History Museum and then see it all anchored in the national story inside Zayed National Museum,” Dr. Magee says. “These connections happen through what I call narrative touchpoints—links between institutions that we actively work on together.” Particularly for temporary exhibitions, the goal is for each institution to engage with the others across time, reinforcing those connections. “Together, those encounters build a richer, more layered story—the whole becoming greater than the sum of its parts,” he adds.
That coordination is made easier by the fact that all the institutions operate under the same Department of Culture and Tourism, which enables crucial alignment and collaboration not only in programming but also—perhaps most importantly—in marketing strategy. Once all museums are open, a district-wide ticket could give visitors access to multiple institutions within the Saadiyat Cultural District.
For more than a decade, the U.A.E. has placed culture and the arts at the center of its national agenda—not only as part of its economic diversification strategy, but also as a means of positioning itself as a global cultural hub and a leader in soft power. Seeking to play a central role in this cultural ecosystem, Zayed National Museum is already building a network of collaborations that extend beyond the Saadiyat Cultural District, forging connections with institutions across the U.A.E. “We will be displaying loans from their collections as part of our narrative,” Dr. Magee says, noting that these partnerships extend well beyond loans to include joint research, personnel exchanges and the development of an ecosystem that supports and strengthens museums nationwide.
“In the U.A.E., we have a significant number of heritage and archaeological sites. With the current level of investment, creating a national narrative shared across institutions is crucial—while still allowing each site to speak with its own voice within that larger story,” he reflects. “Zayed National Museum can play a key role in advancing this idea, helping to shape and sustain a narrative that is shared nationwide and across all of the country’s cultural institutions.”
The museum’s research center is central to this mission and has been active throughout the years of construction. Now in its third year, it attracts applications from across the globe. “We’re generating original scholarship through a very active research grant program,” Dr. Magee notes. “I’m incredibly pleased with how successful it has been.”
At a regional level, as neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar adopt similar cultural strategies, the Middle East is quickly emerging as a global leader in the field. Just as Zayed National Museum collaborates with national institutions, it is also beginning to engage with partners across the Arabian Gulf. “There’s a shared history here that stretches from antiquity to the recent past, and we want to explore it in the museum through loans, collaborations and research,” Dr. Magee says. “The goal is to build a shared narrative that everyone can take pride in, while still respecting and preserving the unique voice of each country. That balance between the collective story and individual perspectives creates a strong, positive cultural ecosystem for the region’s future.”
More in Museums
-
How Museums Like OMA Are Opening Their Doors to Visitors With Vision Impairment
-
As the Studio Museum in Harlem Nears Its Reopening, Thelma Golden Shares What to Expect
-
Cultural Reckonings: Architect Kulapat Yantrasast and the New Language of Museums
-
Guillaume Cerutti Calls for €50 Million EU Fund for Joint Museum Acquisitions
-
These Are the World’s Most Visually Stunning Museums
-
Becoming a Museum Volunteer in 2025: What’s Changed and What Hasn’t