Highly-anticipated Museum of the Future opens in Dubai

Dubai’s Museum of the Future opened on Tuesday after nine years in the making, and is being touted as “the most beautiful building on Earth.”

When visiting the futuristic museum, the first thing that attracts one’s attention even before entering is the sentences written in Arabic Thuluth script that decorate the building’s facade.

Spanning over an area of 30,000 square meters and lit by 14,000 meters of lights, the museum is the UAE’s latest effort in inspiring initiatives to promote the Arabic language - reviving, protecting, and developing the art of Arabic calligraphy.

The museum’s inauguration comes some two months after the UAE, in cooperation with other Arab countries, successfully included Arab calligraphy in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

It also follows the launch of the “Emirates Declaration on the Arabic Language,” which represents a comprehensive roadmap covering all areas related to the Arabic language.

The opening ceremony was attended by UAE’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Standing at 77 meters tall, the museum tells the narrative of the future through interactive exhibitions, portraying futuristic technologies and trends, Gulf News reported.

Chairman of the museum Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi described it as “a global platform for pioneers, innovators, and critical thinkers to exchange ideas, concepts, and visions, to… shape a fair future that works for everyone.”

Emirati artist Matar bin Lahej is behind the building’s surface design, using Arabic Thuluth script which is known for its aesthetics, to highlight the splendor of Arabic calligraphy.

The architect who led the museum’s construction was Shaun Killa, a long-time veteran of Dubai's architecture sector.