The Etihad Museum will open its doors to the general public on 7 January 2017, according to Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).

The Museum is currently welcoming senior officials and VIP delegations only.

The museum’s management has completed the programming and the operation plan to welcome visitors all week long from 10AM to 8PM and will present educational exhibits and programmes that show the chronological events of the agreement signing and Union declaration in 1971, according to Dubai Culture, the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage.

His Excellency Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority said: “This landmark heritage initiative is an important manifestation of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to create an important national UAE cultural and tourist landmark.

“It will offer the public a valuable opportunity to discover year-round the events before, during and after the Union agreement’s signing in 1971. In doing so, the museum will enhance visitor understanding of the rights, privileges and responsibilities bestowed upon the nation’s citizens through the UAE constitution.”

As part of Dubai Culture’s wider role in establishing a regulatory framework for the Emirate’s heritage sector, Etihad Museum will contribute to the realization of the Dubai Plan 2021 objectives – to consolidate the Emirate’s position as a home for creative individuals who are proud of their cultural identity.

The museum will play a significant role in the academics of, and knowledge exchange between students and experts, and will provide an important cultural and historical source for a young Emirati generation, Dubai residents and tourists.

Visitors will be able to enjoy reading books at the Dubai Public Library branch within the museum, which will hold three thousand different titles on the UAE’s national and social history. Pictures, movies and documents from 1968 to 1974 will be on display to provide numerous points of interest throughout the nation building process of the nation, all of which is captured in the Etihad Museum.

The museum complex extends across the Union House building, a 123-meter flag pole, a parking building with a 100-car capacity, with an additional 100 outdoor parking spots.

The Etihad Museum’s new permanent pavilion is inspired by the shape of a manuscript, with seven columns which emulate the pens used to sign the 1971 Union agreement, while the museum’s identity is inspired from the colours of the UAE flag, the Union’s identity and the seven emirates.

About Dubai Culture

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was launched on March 8, 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in order to drive the growth of the city’s artistic and cultural landscape.

The Authority has grown to play a major role in the realisation of the Dubai Plan 2021, to highlight Dubai as a thriving capital for creative industries and further embed the Emirate’s credentials as a city of happy, creative and empowered people.

As part of its mandate, Dubai Culture has several initiatives that are focused on strengthening both the historic and modern cultural fabric of Dubai.

These include:

Dubai Art Season — the city’s premier umbrella arts initiative which kicks off with Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and encompasses Art Week including Art Dubai, Design Days Dubai, and SIKKA Art Fair, Middle East Film & Comic Con,

SIKKA Art Fair — an annual event aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in the UAE and the wider GCC region

Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre — an annual festival that fosters the art of theatre in the UAE and that is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2016; and

Dubai Next — a dynamic platform that aims to showcase the Emirate’s cultural ethos and its vibrant creative scene on the global stage.

The Authority’s other key initiatives include Creatopia — the nation’s first government-empowered virtual community that guides and nurtures the creative culture of the nation and provides a platform of information and opportunities that lead to exposure and personal growth.

Reading strategy

Dubai Culture also plays a leading role in support of the UAE National Strategy for Reading 2026, in particular by undertaking a major refurbishment of all Dubai Public Libraries branches to transform them into state-of-art cultural and artistic hubs.

Across all of its branches, Dubai Public Library also provides children and young adults with a range of educational and entertaining activities that encourage the use of its facilities.

The “Our Summer is Filled with Culture & Arts Programme” is a Dubai Public Library initiative which complements the UAE National Reading Strategy, with its activities open to all age groups, and which revolve around four key themes: happiness, reading, family and the future.

The Authority also manages more than 17 heritage sites across the Emirate, and is a key government stakeholder in the development of the Dubai Historical District.

As the custodian Authority of Dubai’s museum sector, Dubai Culture will officially launch Etihad Museum in December 2016.

The museum will provide a platform to encourage cultural exchange and to connect Emirati youth with their culture and history.

As part of the Authority’s mandate to support Dubai’s vision of becoming the focal point of diverse cultural exchange (regionally & globally), all of its museums will provide a catalyst to preserve Emirati Heritage.