Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Announces 11 December 2026 Opening of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
A Landmark Museum Rooted in the United Arab Emirates and Shaping Global Artistic Dialogue
- Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will connect cultures, inspire people, and celebrate art from the 1960s to the present
- The museum brings new perspectives to modern and contemporary art, shining a light on artists from around the world.
- Once open, the museum will reinforce its status as one of the most significant museum developments globally
ABU DHABI, UAE, July 28, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has announced that Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will open its doors on 11 December 2026, further strengthening Abu Dhabi's position as a leading global capital for the arts.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is a museum of modern and contemporary art and will be a space for encounter and exchange, promoting a more connected and diverse global community through art. The museum has a unique identity and vision, shaped by Abu Dhabi's artistic landscape and designed to reflect the United Arab Emirates' stories and beyond, encouraging curiosity among younger generations about modern and contemporary art.
The museum joins a growing community of museums and cultural institutions in Saadiyat Cultural District, including Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, positioning the district as one of the world's most significant concentrations of cultural institutions. Part of the Guggenheim constellation of museums in New York, Venice, and Bilbao, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi brings a distinct identity shaped by Abu Dhabi's legacy, in a region that has been at the crossroads of culture and trade for millennia.
His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: "Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is a defining moment in our cultural journey. The museum is shaped by the emirate's long-held conviction that culture is the most enduring bridge between peoples and a building block for forward-looking societies. It brings new perspectives to modern and contemporary art, shining a light on art from all around the world. As a key element of Saadiyat Cultural District, the museum will create transformative new opportunities for learning, creativity, and cultural exchange, inspiring future generations to explore their own potential. Here, everyone belongs and can see themselves reflected in the stories the museum tells, engaging with ideas and artistic voices from across the world."
Dr. Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, said: "The Guggenheim Foundation is proud and delighted to be a longstanding partner with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi in shaping a museum of contemporary art of magnificent scope and aspiration. The museum's art collection is uniquely local and global, centred in the region but with works from all continents. Through the many stories it will tell and invite, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be a source of wonder, a hub of connection, and a place of curiosity and joy for people from the United Arab Emirates and the world."
Envisioned as a platform for dialogue, the museum brings together diverse perspectives across geographies and generations through modern and contemporary art. Spanning a wide range of artistic media including painting, sculpture, installation, photography, moving image, and new media, the museum presents art as a dynamic and evolving conversation across time and place.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi reflects Abu Dhabi's role as a catalyst for artistic innovation and creative production, fostering meaningful connections between artists, ideas, and audiences. Placing the visitor at the centre, the museum offers an open exploratory experience, where each journey unfolds across interconnected narratives of time, place, and theme.
Designed by the late Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Frank Gehry, the museum is located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, a meeting point between land and sea. A rooted architectural landmark that will offer a new perspective and invite visitors to be part of the curatorial journey of the museum.
Extending the visitor journey through interconnected spaces, the architecture of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is an integral part of the artistic experience. The museum is designed to impress at every level, delivering a powerful presence externally and an immersive experience within. The building features 30 galleries that unfold across the interior, connected by a central atrium and ten sculptural cones that punctuate the building's dynamic skyline. Nine are clad in stainless steel mesh and one in onyx and glass.
Reaching heights of up to 88 metres, the sculptural cones provide natural ventilation and shade, enhancing the building's energy efficiency while articulating its bold silhouette. Spanning 11,600 square metres of interior gallery space and 23,000 square metres of outdoor exhibition areas, the landmark encompasses a total built-up area of 80,000 square metres, reinforcing its role as one of the most significant museum developments, suited to the impressive size, variety of media, and experimental character of art since 1960.
Since 2009, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi has been building a growing collection of modern and contemporary art that will reflect and advance Abu Dhabi's role as a catalyst for creative production and innovation in the arts. Guests will be invited to engage with art on their own terms, shaping individual pathways through galleries that consider major vectors of art since 1960, such as Abstractions, Popular Culture, Land, Language, and Storytelling.
The displays unfold connections across geographies, generations, and artistic practices, and will provide dynamic frameworks for understanding the art of our own time as a source of knowledge, expression and connection while inviting visitors to explore art history through relationships and resonances rather than a linear chronology.
A landmark for Abu Dhabi and the world, the museum will deepen understanding, expand perspectives, and offer new ways to engage with the art of our time, positioning Abu Dhabi at the forefront of global artistic production, discourse, and exchange. More information about the collection and commissions will be announced in the coming months.
Public programming is active and ongoing across the United Arab Emirates. You can join our Guggenheim Abu Dhabi community here.
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ABOUT GUGGENHEIM ABU DHABI
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is a museum of modern and contemporary art that connects cultures, inspires people, and celebrates art from the 1960s to the present, shining a light on artists from around the world. The museum will offer new perspectives on modern and contemporary art from an Abu Dhabi lens through its collection, commissions, research, exhibitions, and multilingual programme.
Aiming to reflect a transcultural approach, the museum moves beyond chronology and geography to highlight artistic lineages, networks and exchanges. The collection spans a wide range of artistic media, including painting, sculpture, installation, photography, moving image, and new media.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi places the visitor at the centre of a journey of encounter and exchange with modern and contemporary art. Visitors will be able to navigate their own path of discovery through the museum's galleries of interconnected time periods, geographies, and themes.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is the result of a visionary collaboration between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
Located in the heart of Saadiyat Cultural District, overlooking the sea and designed by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is an iconic landmark inspired by the architectural forms of the Gulf region. The museum has a total of 11,600 square metres spread across 30 galleries, in addition to 23,000 square metres of exterior exhibition spaces in the cones and terraces surrounding the building.
ABOUT DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM – ABU DHABI
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi's culture and tourism sectors, fuels economic progress and helps achieve Abu Dhabi's wider global ambitions. By working in partnership with the organisations that define the Emirate's position as a leading international destination, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the Emirate's potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture and tourism industries.
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi's vision is defined by the Emirate's people, heritage and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi's status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives and creative thought.
For more information about the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the destination, please visit: dctabudhabi.ae and visitabudhabi.ae and abudhabiculture.ae
ABOUT THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation was established in 1937 and is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. Committed to innovation, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation collects, preserves, and interprets modern and contemporary art, and explores ideas across cultures through dynamic curatorial and educational initiatives and collaborations. With its constellation of architecturally and culturally distinct museums, exhibitions, publications, and digital platforms, the foundation engages both local and global audiences. The international constellation of museums includes the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao; and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. To learn more about the museum and the Guggenheim's activities around the world, visit guggenheim.org.
SOURCE Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi
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