How Zayed National Museum helps us understand UAE's Founding Father

The Zayed National Museum serves as a powerful tribute to the UAE's founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, while also providing a comprehensive look into the nation's rich history. Hind Al Khoori, the museum's marketing and communications director, explains that the museum's first gallery, 'Our Beginning,' delves into Sheikh Zayed's background and the factors that shaped him.

The museum traces the history of the land back 300,000 years, moving from early human life, the country's connections and traditions, to its modern history. One of the museum's most striking exhibits is the Marawah woman, a 8,000-year-old burial site found on Marawah Island. The museum's reconstruction of this woman, who wore a jacket made of feathers, is seen as a prominent figure from that era.

The museum also highlights women's stories through its 'Women of the Nation' tour, which was run in August to mark Emirati Women's Day. Other galleries showcase trade, diplomacy, everyday life, education, healthcare, and the falaj irrigation system. The museum's most recent achievement is its inclusion in Prix Versailles, an international prize awarded to the world's most beautiful museums of 2026 by the Unesco headquarters in Paris.

Visitors are expected to leave the museum with a sense of pride and connection to their heritage, understanding how Emiratis have adapted to their environment and used available resources to build lives. The museum is described as a 'living museum' that embodies resilience and reflects UAE's rich history.