Information on Etihad Museum in Dubai
The Union House, popularly known as the Etihad museum, is based in Dubai and serves the purpose of preserving the historical and heritage details of the United Arab Emirates’s military, socio-culture, political and scientific past and present. You could be surprised to find even old passports of the rulers of UAE, the raising of its flag, signed constitution and the 2 December Formation of the United Arab Emirates as a country. This Etihad museum serves as a document of the United Arab Emirates.
Chronicling the birth of the nation from the time it first struck oil to the withdrawal of British in 1968, the Etihad Museum was opened to the public in 2017. One can find films, timelines, interactive displays, films, pictures, documentaries et al as milestones of history while paying homage to the seven founding fathers of the nation. One may even avail of free tours of the adjacent Union house where the constitution was signed.
There has been great thought given while designing the building by Moriyama & Teshima, the Canadian architecture firm which wanted to symbolize the building after the sheet of paper on which the declaration of the Union was signed and written. Do notice the seven golden columns symbolizing the seven pens with which it was signed.
There is an unmissable plaza which connects the building with the historic circular Union House together with a guest house where the founding fathers resided while negotiations were on. Even the original flagpole is positioned over a reflecting pool, a location where the fathers gathered post signing.
One can feel the opulence of the white marble staircase, wide entrance hall, with large portraits by Emirati artist Abdul Qader Al Rais showcasing the geography of the UAE are all part of the grandeur. Also not to be missed are the giant photographs of the seven rulers, founding fathers, their family tree and personal items like the cane and glasses of Sheikh Zayed and the passport of Sheikh Rashid. One cannot but marvel at the digital timeline of the Road to Unification as well as 3D documentaries together with the first page of the constitution.
Mind you the Etihad word has nothing to do with the Airline, it is just Arabic for Union.
Table of Contents
Best time to visit Etihad Museum:
Prefer early morning to avoid school kids or even later in the day is not a bad idea. This Etihad Museum is worth taking its time to soak in history.
Opening Hours Etihad Museum:
The Etihad Museum is open from 10 am- 8 pm. Prefer reaching as early to avoid queues.
Location of Etihad Museum:
The Address to the Etihad Museum is 1 Jumeirah St – Al Mina – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
The Etihad Museum is located on the Jumeriah Road and being relatively new most taxi drivers aren’t aware of its location. Memorize Route D94 as this is the actual location where in 1971, UAE was first founded.
Tickets Price to the Etihad Museum:
The price for tickets range from
Adult/25 AED
Child/10 AED
Group ticket/20 AED
It would be wise to simply buy the ticket online as it will save you time and money.
Required time to explore Etihad Museum:
Ideal time to explore the Etihad Museum is about three hours. It will help to dig deeper and make sure you have all the information you need.
Things to Remember at the Etihad Museum:
- Kids below five years are free, so are disabled individuals. Students between 5-24 years are charged a nominal 10 AED.
- Do keep in mind, among the few places open in Dubai on a Friday is The Etihad Museum.
- Do not just hop and skip, this place is actually a historical shrine of the location.
- Do look out for the two introductory tours at 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM
- There is a not-to-be-missed Seven Sands Cafe on the 3rd floor for its delicious sweets.
- It may be a good idea to keep updated on the exhibitions and events by following them on Facebook and Instagram.
- Now that you have committed, check out the video. It contains interviews and loads on history of the Union.
- The Etihad Museum has no official website, you can check various outlets for online tickets.
Image Reference
- Image 1 – Lxs / Wikimedia Commons
- Image 2 – Lxs / Wikimedia Commons
