Dubai: In celebration of the UAE’s 48th National Day, Gulf News is taking you on a tour through Etihad Museum and Union House to look through the history of the UAE.
The Etihad Museum is spread over 26,000 square meters and is located adjacent to the Union House. The entrance of the museum is designed in the shape of a manuscript with seven columns that simulate the pen used to sign the UAE declaration.
The museum includes permanent and temporary halls, a theatre, an educational area, a recreational area, administrative offices and car parking. It’s made up of eight permanent galleries, in addition to a temporary gallery to exhibit items from international museums.
A highly valuable collection of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan is on display at Etihad Museum in Dubai, say organisers.
The ‘Founding Fathers’ display begins with Shaikh Zayed and gives visitors a chance to view personal objects, including his cane, prayer beads, sunglasses, his wristwatch, and a pocket watch. The collection was curated with the help of the Zayed Museum management team as part of the ‘Let’s Preserve Our Legacy’ campaign.
The exhibitions are mostly experience-driven while the programmes are interactive.
The entrance of the new museum is designed in the shape of a manuscript with seven columns that simulate the pen used to sign the declaration. The museum includes permanent and temporary halls, a theatre, an educational area, a recreational area, administrative offices and car parking. It comprises eight permanent galleries in addition to a temporary gallery to exhibit items from international museums.
The museum offers experience-driven exhibitions, interactive programmes and educational presentations that explore the events that culminated in the formation of the Union of the emirates in 1971, with a key emphasis on the period between 1968 and 1974.
The museum tells the story of the Union’s creation from the perspective of the country’s leaders and aims to educate visitors about the nation’s constitution, particularly the rights, privileges and responsibilities that it bestows upon the people of the UAE.
The museum’s collection includes objects and documents related to the events of the formation of the UAE nation. The logo of the museum is inspired by the oval shape of the Union House.
Highlights
‘The Journey to Union’ gallery features exclusive photos displayed for the first time that were contributed by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, as part of the ‘Let’s Preserve the Legacy’ campaign.
Museum Theatre: It displays films and audio exhibits
Founding Fathers gallery: Features photographs of UAE’s founding fathers, their belongings and an interactive screen that provides historical information about their biography and their family tree.
Stamp and Postal history gallery: It displays stamps dating to the period between 1909 and 1971.
The Road to the Union exhibition: Highlights key dates that led to the Union.
Planting the Union exhibition: Has a holographic movie that depicts the meeting between the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. The movie is narrated by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid.
There are also galleries titled ‘Change and Independence’, ‘Unification of the Emirates’, ‘The Constitution’, and ‘The UAE: One Nation … Common Future’.
The museum’s collection includes objects and documents related to the events of the formation of the UAE nation.
Location: Jumeirah 1, across from 2nd of December Street, Dubai
Cost: Dh25 per adult
Contact: 04 5155771
Must see: The Planting the Union exhibition, a holographic film that highlights the meeting between the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
The movie is narrated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
