Guggenheim Abu Dhabi on track for 2025 opening

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced that the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is on track for 2025 completion.

The announcement comes after Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, met with architect Frank Gehry and visited the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum site on Saadiyat Island.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is the latest instalment in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s international consortium of museums.

The upcoming museum will be dedicated to global modern and contemporary art and programming.

It aims to foster cultural exchange with a mission to contribute to and stimulate expansive perspectives on the history of art.

With both Emirati and regional experts playing a key role in the development of the museum’s collection and programmes, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will provide a first-of-its-kind platform for artists from the UAE, the Gulf, and the world to create commissioned works and engage with global audiences.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “The museum will also play a civic role through its mission to spark wider interest in global modern and contemporary art, fostering diversity and inclusion in a meaningful cultural exchange. As we move forward with our plans, it is crucial to recognise the impact of this museum in realising our vision for the Emirate’s culture and creative industries.

"Investing in these industries is pivotal to the economic development of our Emirate, and to our contribution to the global art world. Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, along with other cultural institutions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum, will undoubtedly contribute significantly to a thriving creative scene.”
 
The museum is set to be the largest and most expansive of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s constellation of museums, which includes the Guggenheim Museum in New York designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Guggenheim Bilbao designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection housed in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni in Venice.

As part of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi’s commitment to supporting artists in the region, the museum has been curating and delivering engaging public programming for its audiences since its inception.

This includes three exhibitions held in Abu Dhabi featuring select works from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi collection in a bid to represent the future museum’s curatorial vision.

Additionally, the museum organised a dynamic public programme highlighting contemporary artists from around the world.

Located in the heart of the Saadiyat Cultural District, the museum will be an architectural landmark inspired by the vernacular architecture of the UAE and the region.

Upcoming cultural institutions set to join the Saadiyat Cultural District include the Zayed National Museum dedicated to celebrating the life and achievements of the Founding Father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the Abrahamic Family House, a multi-faith place of worship.