Inside the newly reopened Al Ain Museum where you can walk through 300,000 years of UAE heritage

Dubai: If you’ve ever wanted to journey back to the Stone Age or walk in the footsteps of Al Ain’s earliest inhabitants, the newly reopened Al Ain Museum is the place to begin. Home to artefacts dating back over 300,000 years, it offers a rare glimpse into the lives of communities who turned desert scarcity into opportunity and innovation.

Following extensive redevelopment, the museum reopened on 24 October 2025, welcoming visitors into an expanded, immersive heritage experience. Established in 1969 by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the UAE, as the UAE’s first museum, it sits beside the historic Sultan Fort and remains a cornerstone of the nation’s cultural and archaeological heritage.

Its exhibitions trace human habitation in Al Ain from the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods to pre-Islamic and modern times, showcasing artefacts, interactive displays, and preserved sites that reveal how early settlers engineered water systems, built communities, and thrived in one of the harshest environments on earth.

One of the museum’s most fascinating features is its in situ archaeology - meaning some discoveries remain exactly where they were found. Beneath the museum’s floors lie sections of the ancient aflaj irrigation system and a pre-Islamic burial tomb, both uncovered during early excavations and carefully preserved in place.

Before the museum’s original construction, more than 200 archaeological sites were unexpectedly discovered on its grounds. Many of these have been integrated into the building, allowing visitors to literally stand above layers of Al Ain’s deep history.

The aflaj wells, dating from 1000 BCE to 300 CE, are the museum’s first in situ display. These underground water channels, built in the Iron Age, demonstrate how early settlers engineered irrigation systems that still function in Al Ain today. The discovery highlights how water management was key to Al Ain’s survival and prosperity over millennia.

Another remarkable in situ exhibit at Al Ain Museum is the remains of a monumental tomb belonging to a person of high status. Before this discovery, no cemeteries from the late pre-Islamic period had been found in Al Ain, making it a breakthrough in the region’s archaeological record.

During this era, it was customary for the deceased to be buried with their most prized possessions - a reflection of their social standing and beliefs about the afterlife. The tomb’s contents, including fine gold jewellery with intricate craftsmanship, as well as iron daggers, swords, and arrowheads, indicate that the individual held a position of prestige and importance within their community.

Surrounding the museum once stood Harat Al Hosn, a vibrant community built around the aflaj and Al Ain Oasis. Residents farmed, gathered in majalis, and lived in close connection to the land.

Inside the exhibition, visitors can explore archival photos, maps, and oral histories of this neighbourhood, alongside personal items — such as a kandora with talli embroidery, a silver-beaded shaila, and traditional tools for weaving and preparing gahwa (Arabic coffee).

Also displayed are kohl containers, merwad (applicators), and traditional jewellery once worn by the women of Harat Al Hosn.

Among the oldest artefacts are stone carvings from 2500–2000 BCE, discovered by a Danish archaeological team in 1961 — the first excavation in the UAE. These carvings, depicting animals such as oryx and camels, were found in a tomb on Umm an-Nar Island.

The museum also showcases rare diplomatic gifts received by Sheikh Zayed from world leaders, symbolising friendship and respect between nations. Highlights include:

Artefacts found near Jebel Hafit and Jebel Mundassa reveal Al Ain’s role in early human migration out of Africa. These stone tools, dating back over 300,000 years, offer clues to the earliest human settlement in the Arabian Peninsula.

As trade routes expanded, Al Ain became part of wider commercial and cultural networks. Artefacts starting from 300 BCE include:

A dedicated building explores 20th-century life in Al Ain, highlighting community traditions, craftsmanship, and faith. Visitors will find:

Within the museum grounds stands Sultan Fort, built in 1910 by Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed, son of Sheikh Zayed the First. Once the heart of the old village Haret Al Hosn, the fort now forms a key part of the museum experience. Its mudbrick walls and palm-frond structures capture the architectural heritage that shaped Al Ain’s oasis life for generations.