CELEBRATING THE FOUNDING OF THE UAE

The new Etihad Museum, designed by Canadian architectural practice Moriyama & Teshima, celebrates the founding of the United Arab Emirates.

The museum is the focal point of a 2.5-hectare site next to the historic and newly restored Union House on the Dubai waterfront, which focuses on the 1971 signing of a document which created this new country.

The shape of the museum, managed by Dubai Culture, has been inspired by the parchment upon which the unification agreement was written and features seven columns representing the pens with which it was signed.

In total, there are eight permanent pavilions, which feature experience-driven exhibitions, interactive programmes and education initiatives exploring events that culminated in the establishment of the UAE – with a key emphasis on the period between 1968 and 1974.

Displays include a panoramic interactive map highlighting the history of the region, and the showing of a documentary film that tells the story of the Union’s creation from the perspective of the country’s leaders.

The 2.5-hectare site next to the historic Union House on the Dubai waterfront is also home to a 123-metre-tall flag pole, a parking building able to accommodate 100 vehicles, plus additional outdoor parking spaces.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: “Etihad Museum is a national project which serves to document an important part of our national memory, and tells the story of the historical journey that the UAE undertook to establish the Union.

“Our shared duty towards our country is to contribute to the documentation of this historical milestone.”