Sheikh Hamdan announces Life and Biodiversity Laboratory in Dubai showcasing woolly mammoth, other extinct species

Dubai: Imagine standing in a room and watching a woolly mammoth move, hearing the rustle of its shaggy coat and feeling, for just a moment, as though a creature that vanished thousands of years ago has come back to life. That is exactly the kind of experience Dubai is about to offer the world.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, on Tuesday announced the launch of the Life and Biodiversity Laboratory developed in collaboration with the US-based Colossal Biosciences.

Taking to social media, he said the innovative scientific experience was presented at the World Governments Summit 2026.

“The Museum of the Future has been designated as the permanent home of this laboratory, making the experience accessible to all and showcasing advanced innovations that expand our understanding of the natural world while supporting global efforts to protect species from extinction,” Sheikh Hamdan revealed.

The laboratory is expected to bring visitors up close with some of nature's most iconic extinct creatures through immersive technology.

The images shared by Sheikh Hamdan featured the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) an extinct species of mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, an extinct species of carnivorous marsupial and dodo (Raphus Cucullatus), an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to Mauritius.

A key highlight of the laboratory will be the World Preservation Lab and BioVault, built around the tagline Bringing the Past to the Future

Colossal Biosciences, the firm behind the collaboration, has been using CRISPR gene-editing technology to showcase several extinct species including the woolly mammoth, the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) and the dodo.

Sheikh Hamdan added: "Our goal is to inspire understanding and awareness, paving the way for a brighter future."