The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is opening its doors this weekend.
The cultural institution spans 35,000 square metres and takes visitors on a 13.8-billion-year journey through time and space. The skeleton of Stan, the world-famous 11.7-metre-tall Tyrannosaurus rex, a 7-billion-year-old meteorite and a recreation of Abu Dhabi from 7 million years ago, are among the star attractions.
Here, we answer all of your burning questions about the new museum.
Where is Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and when is it opening?
The museum is located in Saadiyat Cultural District on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. It is next door to TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, which opened its doors in February this year, and across from the Abrahamic Family House.
The museum will be open to the public from Saturday, November 22. At the time of writing, there are still tickets available to buy online for opening weekend.
The site offers free parking for visitors.
What are the opening hours?
The museum is open from 10am to 6.30pm from Monday to Thursday; and 10am to 8.30pm from Friday to Sunday.
The first entry of the day is at 10am, while the last ticket slot you can buy is from 5pm to 6pm on weekdays, and 7pm to 8pm on weekends. After booking an arrival timeslot, guests are free to wander at their own pace within museum opening hours.
Information for public holidays has not yet been released.
How much are tickets?
The museum has a number of ticketing options, which are listed below, but, broadly, entry is Dh70 for adults, and free for children under the age of 18 as well as for people of determination.
Full list of ticket options:
- Adults: Dh70
- Fazaa and Esaad cardholders: Dh45.50
- UAE university students, aged 18 and above (with valid ID): Dh32.50
- UAE-employed teachers (with valid ID): Dh32.50
- UAE Military and Homat Al Watan: Dh32.50
- Children under the age of 18: Free
- People of determination and their companions: Free
- UAE-based seniors, aged 60 and above: Free
- Journalists on assignment, ICOM and ICOMOS members: Free
Tickets can be bought online.
Is there somewhere to eat?
Nayzak cafe will serve hot and cold meals and drinks. It is located in the entrance atrium before the ticketed area.
There are also two museum shops. One is within the museum, close to the temporary exhibition space, and the other is in the entrance atrium.
Is the museum accessible?
Yes. There is stair-free access to the museum and elevators that take guests down to the entrance.
Inside, there are accessible facilities and the museum is on a single floor, with ramp access.
What can you see in the museum?
The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi has an expansive collection. It is the largest institution of its kind in the region and home to some of the rarest specimens on the planet.
Its galleries span a 13.8-billion-year journey through time and space, from the beginnings of the universe to glimpses of a predicted future.
The museum houses five permanent galleries: The Story of Earth, The Evolving World, The Lost World of Abu Dhabi, Our World and Resilient Planet. There is also space for temporary exhibitions.
Highlights from the museum's collection include the Stan the T-rex, one of the best-preserved and most-studied fossils of the Late Cretaceous predator. Another key attraction is a 1.3kg fragment of Murchison, a 7-billion-year-old pre-solar meteorite.
Spaces dedicated to children include the Dino Play area and an education zone. Dino Play is open to children up to the age of six, and invites them to feed a baby Spinosaurus, fly the wings of a Pteranodon and climb inside a Diplodocus tree-house.
A herd of Sauropods, long-necked dinosaurs, is displayed inside the welcome atrium.
What are the temporary exhibitions?
On opening, there will be three temporary attractions, including two exhibitions, March of the Triceratops: The Herd and Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
The Triceratops exhibition displays a herd of the three-horned dinosaurs' fossils, with information about how they lived and moved millions of years ago. It is being shown in collaboration with Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in the Netherlands.
The second exhibition is a display of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners in collaboration with Natural History Museum London, showing 100 striking wildlife images from around the world.
A Journey Through Time will be screened in the theatre. The 20-minute film is an immersive story of the birth of the universe and traces the wonders of our planet.
More information is available at nhmad.ae
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
CREW
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Four stars
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THREE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
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Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
