Dinosaurs, meteorites and a blue whale will headline Abu Dhabi’s new Natural History Museum, opening 22 November 2025 with 13.8bn years of life on show.
It will stand as the region’s largest museum of its kind – a new global destination for science, nature and culture.
As the largest museum of its kind in the region, the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi aims to inspire global dialogue on the story of life on Earth and the future of our planet.
The 35,000sq m museum will take visitors on an immersive journey through 13.8bn years of natural history, from the Big Bang and the formation of the solar system to the rise and fall of the dinosaurs and the extraordinary biodiversity of today’s world. Among its most remarkable exhibits are three “travellers from deep time”.
The first is Stan, a nearly complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex, which ruled the Earth some 67 million years ago. It will be joined by a 25m female blue whale – the largest animal ever known – and the Murchison Meteorite, which contains seven billion-year-old grains formed before the Solar System itself.
His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: “The opening of the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi marks a major milestone in our journey to shape the emirate’s cultural landscape.
“The museum offers an immersive look at the story of life on Earth, framed for the first time through an Arabian lens, with the fauna, flora and geological history of the region forming a prominent part of the visitor journey.”
He added that the museum’s research and education programmes will support scientific studies in zoology, palaeontology, marine biology, molecular research and earth sciences, fostering engagement with the natural sciences to inspire future generations and advance sustainability.
