Guggenheim Abu Dhabi to open on December 11
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ABU DHABI, July 28, Saudi Arabia Breaking News — Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will open on December 11, 2026, adding a major modern and contemporary art museum to the growing collection of cultural institutions on Saadiyat Island.
Designed by the late Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate Frank Gehry, the museum will encompass a total built-up area of 80,000 square metres. It will include 11,600 square metres of indoor gallery space and 23,000 square metres of outdoor exhibition areas.
The interior will feature 30 galleries connected by a central atrium. Ten sculptural cones rising to heights of up to 88 metres will provide natural ventilation and shade while defining the building’s exterior. Nine will be clad in stainless steel mesh, with the tenth made from onyx and glass.
The museum will present painting, sculpture, installation, photography, moving image and new media. Its collection will explore major developments in art since 1960 through themes including abstraction, popular culture, land, language and storytelling.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi has been building its collection since 2009, bringing together works from the region and around the world. Further information about the collection and commissioned works will be announced in the coming months.
“Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is a defining moment in our cultural journey,” said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
He said the museum would bring new perspectives to modern and contemporary art while creating opportunities for learning, creativity and cultural exchange.
Dr. Mariët Westermann, director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, said the collection was “uniquely local and global, centred in the region but with works from all continents.”
The museum will join Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi in the Saadiyat Cultural District.
It will also become part of the Guggenheim network, alongside museums in New York, Venice and Bilbao, the Emirates News Agency reported.
