Abu Dhabi has firmly established itself as one of the world’s most desirable cities in recent years. Significant investment and an influx of global talent have propelled its rise in popularity.
Attracted by world-class entertainment and exceptional amenities, both residents and visitors enjoy access to an impressive array of first-rate services. Yet the city isn’t solely focused on the future – its deep respect for heritage is evident in a growing number of museums that celebrate the region’s rich history and culture.
Among them is the renowned Louvre Abu Dhabi, the only Louvre outside Paris – an iconic symbol of the city’s global stature and cultural ambition.
Read on to discover some of the best museums Abu Dhabi has to offer.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Undoubtedly the city’s foremost attraction where museums are concerned, Louvre Abu Dhabi houses an exceptional collection of some of the world’s rarest art – and artefacts.
In 2007, a collaboration between Abu Dhabi and Paris was agreed, allowing the UAE capital to use the Louvre name until 2047. The largest art museum on the Arabian Peninsula – unfolding across a vast expanse of 24,000 square metres – the facility was designed with the intention of bridging the gap between Eastern and Western art and culture. And it’s safe to say that objective has been achieved.
The exhibition centre presents a vast array of heirlooms from each of the world’s continents, with various civilisations represented. Tools from the Incan civilisation, pottery from ancient Goryeo (Korea), and relics from pre-Ottoman Turkey are just some of the highlights, while the art on display is among some of the finest found anywhere in the world. Pieces from leading lights such as Rembrandt and Gauguin hang proudly, while sculptures such as the Head of Buddha from 5th century Northern India are not to be missed.
Louvre Abu Dhabi also boasts an interactive Children’s Museum with exhibitions such as the popular ‘Picturing the Cosmos’, which allows full immersion in all things interstellar.
Set on the coast where ocean meets inlet, visitors are invited to embark on an electric catamaran journey around the complex once they have finished exploring the museum. There is also an option to kayak around the facility – ideal for cooler days.
Light and Peace Museum – Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Despite its relatively small size compared to the behemoth that is Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Light and Peace Museum shines as a fine example of a contemporary museum space.
Well designed and with exceptional lighting, the facility exhibits scientific, literary and historical works from around the Islamic world. With its compact layout, visitors can easily tour the venue in under an hour – the ideal end to a tour of the Grand Mosque where the museum is housed.
A spiritual journey through faith, inspiration and coexistence, Light and Peace Museum showcases the enduring legacy of the UAE’s attitude of tolerance and peace, positioning the complex as a guiding light of cultural harmony.
The museum takes visitors through five distinct zones, covering themes such as Tolerance, Sanctity and Worship, Precision and Beauty, Tolerance and Openness and Universal Coexistence. The Family Area offers sensory experiences for children and families, highlighting the architecture of the facility, all brought to life through games and activities in a fun, interactive atmosphere.
Body Museum
An unusual museum located in the heart of Abu Dhabi, the Body Museum at Khalifa University takes visitors on an in-depth exploration of the human body.
With an exhibition detailing all of the key aspects of the physical form, the museum invites you to look deep inside yourself like you never have before. The mission is to educate, inspire and elevate, with a further aim of encouraging younger visitors to go on and study medical sciences, while also highlighting the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The museum – entirely non-profit – is owned by the UAE’s top university and puts education front and centre. By looking at body processes deep under the skin, it is possible to showcase the clear differences between healthy and unhealthy lifestyles.
This permanent exhibition uses a process known scientifically as ‘plastination’, the practice of preserving the human body by eliminating decay, while allowing the body to solidify in an odourless state. This allows cadavers to be touched and studied without the risk of contamination.
A one-of-a-kind museum experience, the facility also looks at the impact of medieval Middle Eastern thinkers on modern medicine, providing a uniquely fascinating addition to the city’s heritage and culture scene.
Qasr Al Hosn / House of Artisans
No list of museums in Abu Dhabi would be complete without mention of the iconic Qasr Al Hosn. The palace and fort around which the modern city was built, the complex offers a rare glimpse into the past and affords visitors the opportunity to see how the Sheikhs of bygone eras really lived.
The palace is a divine piece of heritage and actually stands as the oldest stone building in the city. Originally built to defend the city’s only functioning freshwater well, the complex is now a site of immense historical, archaeological, and architectural research and is also home to the House of Artisans – a museum dedicated to the relationship between the people of the UAE and the natural resources surrounding them.
With a rich artisanal history, the museum celebrates the skilled craftsmen of a bygone age, who were able to flourish in the region and create a range of crafts using techniques such as Al-Sadu, a traditional form of weaving practiced by the Bedouin. Highly important in the culture, the weaving was used to create the bait al-shaar, the tent structure which housed the tribe for generations.
Other traditional practices, such as net-weaving – to take advantage of the abundance of the ocean – and date palm weaving known as ‘khoos’ are also on display in this charming gallery.
Wahat Al Karama
Located just seconds from Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque sits the country’s tribute to its heroes. Wahat al Karama, which translates roughly as ‘dignity oasis’ in English, was initially designed at the behest of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who wanted a way of officially commemorating significant Emiratis of the past.
Starting in the Visitors Centre, guests can learn more about the memorial, as well as the diplomatic and humanitarian efforts of the UAE government. The facility offers four galleries, which allow for a deeper understanding of the facility and the notable figures it strives to honour.
Moving outside, the memorial plaza represents the zenith of the complex, surrounded by a 1,200-capacity amphitheatre. The memorial itself, housed within the plaza, is the centrepiece of the impressive structure and features 31 panels designed to lean against each other to highlight the unity, solidarity and leadership of those it wishes to honour. With poetic verses from the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, along with quotes from other iconic personalities who were instrumental in building the country into the cultural and economic behemoth it is today, the structure is a sophisticated addition to Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage.
The final station is The Pavilion of Honour, which lists the names of all the country’s heroes, inscribed on recycled panels from the UAE military’s armoured vehicles.
