Opening Date Set for Guggenheim Abu Dhabi

(eap) The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has announced the opening date for Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. The new museum of modern and contemporary art will open its doors on 11 December 2026. It aims to bring together different cultures and artistic perspectives while presenting art from the 1960s to the present. At the same time, the museum is expected to further strengthen Abu Dhabi’s profile as one of the world’s capitals for the arts.

© Photo: Department of Culture & Tourism | Emic Works

Located on Saadiyat Island, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will complement the growing landscape of museums and cultural institutions of Saadiyat Cultural District, which also includes Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi. As part of the Guggenheim network of museums in New York (US), Venice (Italy) and Bilbao (Spain), the new museum will have a distinct identity shaped by Abu Dhabi and the wider region.

The building was designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate Frank Gehry (†), who passed away in 2025. Encompassing a total built-up area of approximately 80,000 square metres, the museum will feature 30 galleries providing a combined 11,600 square metres of interior exhibition space, along with 23,000 square metres of outdoor exhibition space. A central atrium connects the galleries, while ten sculptural cones reaching heights of up to 88 metres define the building’s silhouette and are designed to provide natural ventilation and shade.

The collection, which has been built up since 2009, comprises works from every continent and explores key developments in art since 1960. In addition to painting and sculpture, the museum will showcase installations, photography, moving image and new media. Key themes will include abstraction, popular culture, land, language and storytelling.

© Photo: Department of Culture & Tourism | Emic Works

“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,” said His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. As a key element of Saadiyat Cultural District, the museum would create new opportunities for learning, creativity and cultural exchange.

Dr Mariët Westermann, Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, added: “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.” ■