Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi to open in November 2025 at Saadiyat Cultural District

The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, opening on 22 November 2025 in the Saadiyat Cultural District, will be the largest of its kind in the region and a new global destination for science, nature, and education. Spanning 35,000 square metres, the museum offers an immersive journey through 13.8 billion years of natural history — from the Big Bang to the evolution of life on Earth. Highlights include Stan, the world-famous Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, a 25-metre blue whale specimen, and the Murchison Meteorite containing 7-billion-year-old stardust.

Designed by Mecanoo, the building rises organically from Saadiyat’s landscape, reflecting the museum’s mission to connect people with nature and inspire sustainable thinking. Framed through an Arabian lens, its galleries celebrate the region’s geological and biological heritage, including the extinct Stegotetrabelodon emiratus. Launch exhibitions — The March of the Triceratops and Wildlife Photographer of the Year 61 — will mark the opening, joining the museum to a world-class cultural community alongside Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.