The long-awaited Museum of the Future, described as the most beautiful building in the world, officially opened its doors on February 22 this year. The seven-storey silver ellipse structure takes its visitors on a journey to the year 2071 and invites us to think beyond our present.
The museum includes an immersive theatre and sheds light on the future of space travel and living, health, climate change and ecology.
“The Museum of the Future is a ‘living museum’, constantly adapting and metamorphosing as its very environment drives continual and iterative change to its exhibits and attractions,” Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs and chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation, said at the opening ceremony last Tuesday.
The museum reminds us of the importance of thinking ahead, something that has been deeply ingrained in the mindset of the people from the UAE for centuries. Living in a region with scarce natural resources, our ancestors always planned ahead. They were extremely resourceful and managed to survive and thrive in harsh conditions.
The palm tree, for example, was a plant that provided a livelihood to people in the region and no part of it was wasted. Dates were a source of nutrients, the fronds were used to form roof thatches, the wood was used as construction material and the fibres were used to weave carpets, floor coverings and baskets.
But even though we’ve come a long way from our ancestors' lifestyles, the “always think ahead mentality” is something that is deeply ingrained in us, and has driven us to never rest on our laurels. We can see that constantly reflected in our government’s plans and strategies.
The UAE Centennial Plan 2071, for example, is a long-term plan for the next five decades. One of the plan’s objectives is to invest in future generations by prepping them with the knowledge and skills needed to position the UAE as the best country in the world when it celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2071.
If there is one key lesson that we can take away from the global pandemic, it would be the importance of businesses to plan ahead. The pandemic showed us how businesses that didn’t embrace digital transformation suffered greatly over the past two years. It reminded us that we need to be prepared for the worst.
In business, we are advised to follow successful entrepreneurs and learn how they managed and led their companies. We seek inspiration in the past and are often driven by the journey of star entrepreneurs who have made a difference in the world.
The Museum of the Future invites us to seek inspiration from the future instead and encourages us to dream by imagining a possibility for our businesses. It reminds us that anything is possible.
Who could have thought that one day we could fly by putting on a special suit? Or that skyscrapers would be built amid sand dunes? The UAE is a prime example that if we put our mind to something, we can achieve it.
I invite you to look at the future, too, and be inspired by the possibility of what can be done. Only by daring to think beyond what’s possible, are we able to build thriving businesses and leave a positive impact on the world.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
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Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
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Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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Ain Issa camp:
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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War on waste
65
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
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10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
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Top tips to avoid cyber fraud
Microsoft’s ‘hacker-in-chief’ David Weston, creator of the tech company’s Windows Red Team, advises simple steps to help people avoid falling victim to cyber fraud:
1. Always get the latest operating system on your smartphone or desktop, as it will have the latest innovations. An outdated OS can erode away all investments made in securing your device or system.
2. After installing the latest OS version, keep it patched; this means repairing system vulnerabilities which are discovered after the infrastructure components are released in the market. The vast majority of attacks are based on out of date components – there are missing patches.
3. Multi-factor authentication is required. Move away from passwords as fast as possible, particularly for anything financial. Cybercriminals are targeting money through compromising the users’ identity – his username and password. So, get on the next level of security using fingertips or facial recognition.
4. Move your personal as well as professional data to the cloud, which has advanced threat detection mechanisms and analytics to spot any attempt. Even if you are hit by some ransomware, the chances of restoring the stolen data are higher because everything is backed up.
5. Make the right hardware selection and always refresh it. We are in a time where a number of security improvement processes are reliant on new processors and chip sets that come with embedded security features. Buy a new personal computer with a trusted computing module that has fingerprint or biometric cameras as additional measures of protection.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
