The Museum of the Future, an architectural marvel that sits at the bustling heart of Dubai, is set to become a new global landmark on 22-02-22, reports Asian Lite News
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai on Thursday announced that Dubai’s iconic Museum of the Future will be opened on 22nd February.
“On 22-02-2022, UAE will present to the world the Most Beautiful Building on earth. 2022 will be an exceptional year for our nation,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.
The National Geographic had listed Dubai’s ‘Museum of the Future’ as one of the 14 most beautiful museums in the world for its astounding architecture and sophisticated technological innovations.
The Museum of the Future, an architectural marvel that sits at the bustling heart of Dubai, is set to become a new global landmark.
Spanning an area of 30,000 square metres, the seven-storey pillarless structure stands at 77 metres high. The stainless-steel facade, which extends over 17,000 square metres, is illuminated by 14,000 metres of Arabic calligraphy designed by the Emirati artist Mattar bin Lahej.
The Museum is also linked by two bridges, the first extending to Jumeirah Emirates Towers, with a length of 69 metres, and the second linking it to the Emirates Towers metro station, with a length of 212 metres.
The Arabic calligraphy that adorns the facade include quotes by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Among the quotes are: “We may not live for hundreds of years, but the products of our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone.” and “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it… The future does not wait… The future can be designed and built today.”
The facade consists of 1,024 plates manufactured entirely by robots in a first-of-its-kind venture in the Middle East. Each plate of the facade consists of four layers, and each layer has been created after following 16 process steps. The installation period of the external facade lasted for more than 18 months, and each of the panels installed separately.
A model for sustainability in creative design, Dubai’s Museum of the Future is powered by 4,000 megawatts of solar energy produced by a station connected to the building, in collaboration with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. Upon completion, the museum will be the first of its kind in the Middle East to obtain a Platinum Certification for Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design, the highest rating for green buildings in the world.
The park surrounding the museum contains 80 species of plants, equipped with a state-of-the-art intelligent and automatic irrigation system.
The Museum of the Future has won the Tikla International Building Award as a unique architectural model. Autodesk Design Software stated that the Museum is one of the most innovative buildings in the world. The building was designed by Engineer Sean Keila.
Tourism recovery
Dubai welcomed 7.28 million international overnight visitors between January and December 2021, representing 32 per cent year-over-year growth (YoY), establishing a momentous marker in the global tourism recovery, and setting the city firmly on course to achieve sustainable growth on its way to becoming the world’s most visited destination.
According to the latest data published by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) international visitation to the city surpassed 3.4 million visitors in the fourth quarter of 2021, achieving 74 per cent of the total pre-pandemic tourist arrivals of Q4 2019, and paving the way for hotels in Dubai to deliver a stellar fourth quarter performance that surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
A positive trend which is expected to continue throughout 2022 and beyond, the 2021 visitation figures underline the resilience and resurgence of the city’s travel and tourism sector and reaffirm the role of tourism as a key driver of economic growth, while further validating Dubai’s recent selection as the world’s most popular destination in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2022.
Overcoming the impact of international travel restrictions in key global markets, Dubai continued to be the first-choice as a safe tourism destination, attracting holidaymakers throughout 2021 from markets that were open. Dubai strongholds regained momentum to register positive growth during 2021, with No.1 source market India delivering 910,000 visitors (5.3 per cent YoY), followed by 491,000 travellers from Saudi Arabia (+22.8 per cent YoY) whilst Russia and United Kingdom contributed 444,000 visitors (+50.3 per cent YoY) and 420,000 visitors (+7.1 per cent YoY) respectively.
Robust international visitation was boosted by strong tourism arrivals from regional markets. MENA and GCC markets collectively contributed to 26 per cent of the total volumes, reinforcing Dubai’s continued appeal to travellers from proximity markets. Western Europe accounted for 22 per cent of total visitors in 2021, with visitation led by UK, followed by France, Germany, Italy and Netherlands. South Asia contributed 18 per cent of the international visitation with Russia, CIS and Eastern Europe together making a 15 per cent contribution.
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