Today's Edition
MAITHA ALKAABI (ABU DHABI)
Inside Zayed National Museum are artefacts that carry stories of the UAE and its ancestors across millennia, from the 8,000-year-old Abu Dhabi Pearl to a tiny Iron Age ceramic cup etched with meaningful clues about ancient water systems.
Together, these prized objects compress 300,000 years of human history into something tangible and deeply personal. They “connect directly to lived experience”, said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT).
Since opening in December 2025, Zayed National Museum has drawn visitors from across the globe, sparking curiosity about the UAE’s ancient innovations and heritage. Interactive exhibitions, immersive displays, and the integration of oral histories allow residents and international guests to experience the past.
The museum takes visitors into the deeper layers of the UAE, far beyond first impressions. In an interview with Aletihad, Al Mubarak said the discoveries on display transform people’s understanding of early life in the nation and the region.
Back in that era, “they were not merely surviving in harsh conditions”, he said of the country’s early inhabitants. “They were instead developing intricate systems for resource management that required mathematical precision, communal coordination, and deep environmental knowledge.”
That sophistication is captured in a 10-centimetre ceramic cup discovered at an Iron Age village site in Al Ain. The cup bears five engraved symbols believed to depict field systems and the 3,000-year-old falaj irrigation channels used to distribute water. One marking even resembles a sundial, hinting at the meticulous process behind managing water allocation schedules.
And that ingenuity is not confined to a display case.“When families then walk through the museum’s Al Masar Garden and see the functional falaj system, they will recognise this ancient technology still working today,” Al Mubarak said.
The same idea shapes encounters with treasures such as the Abu Dhabi Pearl. Dating back 8,000 years, the pearl is evidence of sophisticated maritime expertise and early participation in expansive trade networks.
Al Mubarak also pointed to the reconstructed Magan Boat offers another bridge to the past. The 18-metre vessel, recreated using techniques from 4,000 years ago, has sailed in the Arabian Gulf as part of a research project by Zayed National Museum in collaboration with Zayed University and New York University Abu Dhabi.
“This kind of tangible object makes vast timescales easier to grasp, in ways that explanatory text or graphics simply cannot,” Al Mubarak said.
Shaping the Ancient World
Beyond inspiring pride and wonder, the breadth of objects on display challenges assumptions about the region, the DCT Chairman pointed out.
Their sophistication and cultural complexity make clear that communities here were not isolated on the margins of history. Rather, they were active participants in the economic and cultural exchanges that helped shape the ancient world, he said.
“The archaeological record demonstrates technological innovation, resource management abilities and connections spanning vast distances,” Al Mubarak said.
“When international audiences encounter this heritage presented with scholarly rigour in a world-class institution, it shifts their understanding of what this region represents and has always represented in human history.”
Zayed National Museum nestles the Emirates’ story within the larger narrative of human history.
“When you trace human presence back thousands of years, you find Bronze Age maritime trade networks operating from here that drove the ancient economy.”
And Al Mubarak said this long continuity reinforces how modern UAE has been built on longstanding foundations.
“The museum shows that our story has a depth and complexity that, beyond inspiring local pride, is of profound global significance,” he said.
The Legacy of Sheikh Zayed
At the heart of the museum’s narrative are the wisdom and legacy of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who once said: “He who does not know his past cannot make the best of his present and future, for it is from the past that we learn.”
The institution gives form to that belief as it shows how Sheikh Zayed’s values are rooted in the country’s history and landscape, Al Mubarak said. “Environmental stewardship, unity, pursuit of knowledge, preserving Emirati identity — these are continuations of patterns that allowed communities here to flourish for millennia. Understanding this heritage gives younger generations clarity about who they are and what they can become.”
‘It Belongs to Every Emirati'
To bring the nation’s long-held values to life, the museum’s curated journey ensures a wide range of voices is represented. Women who sustained households during long pearling expeditions. Artisans whose craftsmanship shaped daily life.
Oral histories have been collected from families across the UAE — stories grandparents can recognise and pass on to their grandchildren, keeping memory alive across generations, he added.
“By bringing these perspectives forward, the museum broadens understanding beyond simplified or singular versions of who we are, presenting a more complete and credible account of the past,” Al Mubarak said.
That inclusivity also strengthens unity. When families from any emirate can visit and recognise their own heritage represented — and when oral histories include stories that resonate across different backgrounds — it deepens connection, he said.
The DCT Chairman emphasised the Zayed National Museum is a place “where we tell our own story with our own voice”.
“The six permanent galleries trace a story that spans 300,000 years of human history in what is now known as the UAE. This history is presented through objects and oral histories collected from across this land, including donations from families and institutions,” he added.
In that way, the museum belongs to everyone.
“It belongs to every Emirati rather than serving as a monument to official narratives,” Al Mubarak said. “In this context, ambition is understood not as a break from tradition, but as a continuation of the resilience and adaptability that have always characterised life here.”
