Dubai plans for major Museum of the Future

Museum will host innovation labs focusing on health, education, smart cities, energy and transport and a permanent section on the greatest global innovations.

Dubai — A $500 million Museum of the Future that will actively produce futuristic inventions and support the UAE’s mission to be a global innovation engine will rise near Emirates Towers on Shaikh Zayed Road in Dubai.

The iconic museum that will be a symbol of Dubai will open in 2017.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said: “The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has declared 2015 to be the year of innovation in the UAE. Today we show how serious and committed we are to that mission by turning the UAE into a major international destination for innovators.”

The museum’s motto, “See the future, create the future”, reflects a new approach to government innovation. Rather than just displaying exhibits or publishing reports, the new institution will use design, technology prototyping and foresight to create real examples of change. The Museum is the first of its kind, and represents a leading example of entrepreneurial governments embracing change and creating futuristic visions for a better world.

“The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it. Here in the UAE we think differently. While others try to predict the future, we create it,” Shaikh Mohammed said.

Headed by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, the Board of Trustees will include several high-profile national figures with Mohammed Al Gergawi acting as its vice president. A large endowment will guarantee its continuation for generations to come.

The Museum will host a group of innovation labs focusing on health, education, smart cities, energy and transport in addition to a permanent section on future innovations in all fields. It will provide a platform to demonstrate and test the latest inventions from world-leading tech giants and up-and-coming start-ups, as well as collaborations between companies and leading research institutes and universities.