The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi confirmed the date as preparations accelerate for the launch of the largest museum in the Guggenheim network. The institution will focus on global modern and contemporary art, with particular attention to artists and movements connected to West Asia, North Africa and South Asia.
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, the museum will contain 30 interior galleries linked by a central atrium. Its distinctive structure includes a series of sculptural cones, varied gallery volumes and outdoor exhibition spaces intended to accommodate artworks that cannot be displayed in conventional museums.
The opening will mark a major expansion of Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District, where several prominent institutions are clustered within a short distance. The district already includes Louvre Abu Dhabi, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, the Abrahamic Family House and other cultural and educational attractions.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is being developed through a partnership between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. The foundation operates or collaborates with museums in New York, Bilbao and Venice, making the Abu Dhabi institution a significant addition to its international network.
The museum’s collection has been assembled since 2009 and contains more than 600 works. It covers artistic production from about 1960 to the present, spanning painting, sculpture, photography, installation, video, film, digital work and new media.
Its curatorial approach is intended to challenge art histories that have often been centred on Europe and North America. The museum plans to present artistic developments across regions as interconnected rather than isolated, examining how migration, trade, political change, technology and cultural exchange have shaped contemporary practice.
Works from the Gulf and the wider West Asia, North Africa and South Asia region will be placed alongside pieces by artists from Europe, the Americas, Africa and East Asia. The programme will include collection displays, commissioned works, temporary exhibitions, research projects, publications and educational initiatives.
The varied scale of the galleries forms a central part of Gehry’s design. Some spaces have been created for paintings and smaller objects, while larger halls can accommodate monumental sculptures, installations and performance-based works. Walkways and transitional areas will provide changing views of the building and the surrounding waterfront.
Ten cone-shaped structures around the main building will serve as entrances, exhibition areas and spaces for installations. Elements of the design draw inspiration from covered courtyards and traditional wind towers, using shade and controlled airflow to respond to Abu Dhabi’s climate.
The project was first announced in 2006 as part of Abu Dhabi’s effort to build a global cultural centre on Saadiyat Island. Early plans envisaged an opening in the following decade, but the timetable was repeatedly revised amid construction, financial and contractual challenges.
Building work gained momentum after a major construction contract was awarded in 2021. The museum has since emerged as one of the most recognisable structures on the Saadiyat shoreline, with its irregular forms contrasting with the geometric dome of Louvre Abu Dhabi nearby.
The project has also faced scrutiny over labour conditions linked to construction on Saadiyat Island. Artists and campaign groups previously called for stronger safeguards for migrant workers involved in cultural developments. Abu Dhabi authorities introduced labour-monitoring measures and accommodation standards as international attention on the district increased.
Valerie Hillings has been appointed as the museum’s first director and will oversee the final preparations for its launch. Hillings previously led the North Carolina Museum of Art and spent several years at the Guggenheim, including work connected with the Abu Dhabi project.
Her appointment adds an experienced museum administrator to a team responsible for completing exhibition planning, recruiting staff and developing relationships with artists, lenders and cultural institutions. Details of the inaugural exhibitions, visitor arrangements, ticket prices and operating hours are expected to be announced closer to the opening.
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