Dubai's Museum of the Future welcomes 4 million visitors

Dubai: Dubai's Museum of the Future celebrates another remarkable milestone, with more than 4 million visitors from around the globe since its official opening on 22 February 2022.

This achievement reinforces the museum’s status as one of the world’s leading cultural and scientific landmarks, and among the most visited destinations both regionally and globally.

This recent milestone comes less than four years after the museum's opening, underscoring its growing appeal as an exceptionally unique destination that blends science fiction, immersive experiences, and visionary foresight within an integrated system of knowledge and culture. The museum truly embodies Dubai's vision and mission to pioneer in foresight future-shaping.

The Museum of the Future continues to fulfil its role as a global hub for innovation and future thinking, a unifying platform for changemakers, thought leaders, experts, and a key driver of scientific and technological progress on a global scale.

Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Chairman of the Museum of the Future, stated that the museum's record number of visitors is a vivid embodiment of the exceptional vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to consolidate Dubai's position as a global hub for the future and a destination that embraces creators, scientists, and innovators from around the world.

He added: “The Museum of the Future embodies the ambition of Dubai to become a global capital for designing and shaping the future; a beacon of hope that brings together optimists and aspirants from all cultures and nationalities.

The museum is not merely an architectural monument, it is a platform for empowerment and capacity-building, aiming to ignite the spark of inspiration in those who aspire to shape the future by posing big questions and anticipating possible answers.”

Al Gergawi added: "The Museum of the Future is a vibrant centre for knowledge and thought, striving to enhance cultural and intellectual exchange and to revive the civilisational role of the Arab region in shaping the future of humanity.

The museum will continue to make impactful contributions in supporting Dubai’s and the UAE’s future strategies across various fields, whether through its dialogue platforms, knowledge programs, or global partnerships with prestigious institutions and research centres.”

“We believe that the future is not something to be waited for but rather created. From this perspective, the Museum of the Future embraces the culture of future foresight that has transformed the UAE into one of the world's most advanced countries in less than fifty years.

Like our city Dubai, the museum will remain a symbol of tolerance, coexistence, openness, creativity, and innovation, attracting diverse cultural, philosophical and social perspectives to establish a future rooted in the values of the UAE and the Arab world, and inspired by the journey of humanity,” Al Gergawi concluded.

Located in the heart of Dubai, the Museum of the Future is a prominent destination for government officials, decision-makers, experts, intellectuals and hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. It serves as a global platform for converging visions and ideas as well as a permanent platform for dialogue around the challenges and opportunities facing the future of humanity.

Since its opening, the museum has hosted 423 events, conferences, forums, and seminars, covering diverse topics such as AI, sustainable cities, and the future of education, health, economy, work, and technology. These events have also addressed the arts and numerous other fields, all with a focus on placing humanity’s well-being at the forefront.

The Museum of the Future has firmly established itself as one of Dubai's leading cultural landmarks and a top destination for visitors from around the world.

It has also become a key destination for leaders, officials and dignitaries during their visits to the UAE. Over the past year alone, the museum has welcomed a number of international dignitaries, including the Prime Minister of Lebanon, the Vice President of Tanzania, the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, the Prime Minister of Vietnam, and the former President of the Republic of Liberia.

The museum's guests included Andry Rajoelina, President of the Republic of Madagascar; Félix Ulloa, Vice President of the Republic of El Salvador; Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic; and Željka Cvijanović, Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Museum of the Future also welcomed 610 international media delegations, who covered its wide range of activations, experiences and events, highlighting its key role in shaping conversations about the future. It also drew visitors from over 180 nationalities, reinforcing its role as a cultural and interactive bridge between people from around the world.

Throughout the year, the Museum of the Future continues to strengthen its position as a dynamic platform, hosting a diverse range of unique events and initiatives that explore future challenges from scientific, humanitarian, and technological perspectives.

The Dubai Future Forum is one of the most prominent of these initiatives, as it is the largest global gathering of futurists. It has hosted more than 3650 experts from over 100 states, acting as a platform for exchanging visions on the future paths of some of the most vital sectors.

The Museum of the Future hosts dozens of conferences, events, and global gatherings annually, including prominent activities as part of the ‘Dubai AI Week,’ which took place last April under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation Board of Trustees. The event welcomed more than 30,000 participants and experts from around the world, as well as the largest global technology companies and the most promising startups.

The 2025 edition of ‘Dubai AI Week,’ organised by the Dubai Center for Artificial Intelligence, is an initiative of the Dubai Future Foundation. It included 10 major events across the city, more than 250 panel discussions and workshops and witnessed the launch of over 30 initiatives, partnerships and agreements between government entities, the private sector, investors and startups.

The Museum of the Future has launched a series of intellectual lectures, titled ‘Lessons from the Past at the Museum of the Future’. As part of this series and throughout 2025, the world-renowned historian and researcher, Dr. Roy Casagranda, has been delivering lectures, drawing on his extensive expertise in the history of civilisations and his unique ability to present past stories and experiences in an inspiring way.

This initiative aligns with the museum's commitment to strengthening its role as a platform for intellectual innovation, sustainable learning, and future foresight. The new program, which includes over 10 exclusive lectures, aims to explore key milestones in history in an interactive manner that highlights aspects that can be utilised and invested in effectively.

Both the 'Future Talks' and 'Future Experts' series play a central role in the museum's annual agenda. Held regularly, these sessions tackle cutting-edge topics such as AI, sustainability, education, the arts, and the economy, featuring a select group of international thinkers, decision-makers, and experts.

In a unique intellectual and cultural setting, the Museum hosts the ‘Ramadan Majlis’, bringing together a distinguished group of experts and thinkers for discussions that explore the role of values in shaping the future. These discussions focus on how ethical principles can guide the development of modern technologies, with the aim of fostering a more humane and responsible future.

The Museum is committed to empowering younger generations with future readiness skills through programs like the annual 'Future Heroes Summer Camp.' This initiative offers children and young adults a unique chance to explore the future through hands-on workshops and immersive experiences, equipping them with the creativity and knowledge to navigate the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.

The museum also hosts a series of workshops around future-focused careers that keep pace with the latest professional trends. These workshops focus on specialised sectors such as agri-tech, vertical farming, and careers in sustainability, providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of the skills required in an ever-changing world.

The museum's hosting of the international Gaming Matters event marked a milestone in exploring the future of the video games industry.

It brought together leading global companies such as Epic Games and Walt Disney, along with experts and designers from the esports sector, to exchange insights on future trends in this rapidly growing field.

The Museum of the Future reflects Dubai's ambitious spirit, where creativity and innovation know no bounds. It represents the confluence of the past, present, and future in an exceptional architectural landmark designed to reflect human progress and serve as an open platform for imagination, experience and discovery.

Huda Ata is an independent writer based in the UAE.