Nestled among the tall buildings of the Financial District, the Dubai Museum of the Future (or MOTF) is a true masterpiece of architecture and engineering.
Unlike the usual museum sites, this museum is built on a lawn and has a distinctive oval shape. Its architectural features are not accidental: the green garden on which it is suspended represents the earth, the oval building represents humanity, while the empty space in the centre depicts the unknown future.
The Museum of the Future was created by the Dubai Future Foundation and welcomes all visitors curious to know, understand and eventually shape the future of our planet.
The aim of the museum is to promote technological development and innovation, with a focus on the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence. The Museum of the Future is suitable for people of all ages, as it combines exhibition spaces with educational and recreational areas.
A visit to the Museum starts from the outside where you can admire a beautiful building that combines past and future in its architecture: here, advanced technology systems have been applied to more traditional art forms. These architectural features have resulted in a building that is unique in the world in terms of its form and characteristics.
The Museum of the Future has five floors dedicated to distinct experiences that not only explain to the visitor what our future might look like but also encourage the development of new ideas. On the first floors you can explore how new technologies will change the way we face challenges in different areas such as health, transport, food and energy. The aim is to inspire and empower people to positively shape the future of humanity.
One area is dedicated to children who can learn in a simple and playful way about the challenges our planet is preparing to face and can start thinking about new solutions to become our ‘Future Heroes’. The three main experiences they can have here can be summarised as: “Imagine, Design and Build”. Through play and learning opportunities, activities are organised that encourage communication, collaboration and creativity.
Although the museum opened on 22 February 2022 (a significant date because it is palindromic), it has been hosting exhibitions since 2016. In particular, in 2016 during the World Government Summit (an annual government event held in Dubai), the Museum of the Future hosted several temporary exhibitions, while between 2017 and 2018, the Museum of the Future was temporarily moved to Madinat Jumeirah. All the exhibitions organised here had as their main theme the role that technology and artificial intelligence can play in human life.
The Museum of the Future was designed by the architectural firms Killa Design and Buro Happold. The exterior of the Museum of the Future was made of stainless steel and consists of 1,024 pieces that were put together through a special procedure that included the use of state-of-the-art robots. In total, the structure is 77 metres high and occupies a total capacity of 30,548 square metres.
The façade of the building has been designed as a canvas on which quotes from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, are inscribed. His words were then transcribed by Emirati artist Mattar bin Lahej.
The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the last admission allowed one hour before closing.
The cost of admission tickets is
Tickets can be purchased on-site at the self-service kiosks or at the ticket office in the lobby; however, due to the great success the site is enjoying, it is recommended to purchase tickets in advance online in order to secure access and avoid long queues at the ticket counters.
The Museum of the Future can be easily reached by car or by public transport
Those travelling by metro can get off at the Emirates Towers stop (red line), where there is a bridge connecting the metro station and the museum. Alternatively, you can use the bus service. In particular, lines 27, 29, X22 stop at the Emirates Towers stop.
Those who want to reach the site by car will find free parking spaces on site or can use the museum’s valet parking service. Those without a car can reach the Museum by taxi.
The Dubai Future Museum is located in the Financial District area right next to the Jumeirah Emirates Towers.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.