Etihad. The Home Where History Begins
Seven Signatures

My daughter and I arrived at the museum earlier than the scheduled time, as we had been advised that being late was not recommended. Our tour of the Etihad Museum, as well as our entire visit to Dubai, was organized by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.

Type “Etihad Museum” into a search engine, and you are immediately met with striking images and glowing reviews. This is where the heart of the UAE lies. It is worth visiting for its architecture and design, for the vast collection of memories carefully assembled piece by piece, and for the chance to see how lovingly the country tells its own story.

In 2017, at the Leading Culture Destinations Awards, Etihad was named the Best New Museum in the Middle East and Africa. The museum is located on Jumeirah 1 Road, on the site of the former residence of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. It is one of the country’s most important landmarks, where a decision that would shape the future of the nation was made.

The first thing that immediately catches the eye is the building itself. It resembles a sheet of paper being unfurled, and this is more than just a beautiful metaphor. As we later learned, the architecture references the Union Agreement, while the seven tilted columns in the white marble foyer symbolize the golden pens used to sign the Constitution in 1971. These details are not immediately obvious, but the sense of history is present long before you step inside.

While we were waiting for our guide, I walked over to the panoramic windows. A duck was gliding across the water that surrounds the building, followed closely by a whole brood of ducklings. Several other women stopped to watch them as well. We had barely managed to take a couple of photos when our guide approached us. As it turned out, Ekaterina was also from Tashkent. She asked which language we would be most comfortable listening to. She was wearing a traditional black abaya, with her hair covered by a shayla. Katya has lived in Dubai for twelve years and has worked as a tour guide for the last nine. Our conversation about life here and back home soon flowed naturally into a story about the museum itself.

I liked the way the museum’s exhibition tells the story itself. It all began with Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Their rulers, Sheikh Rashid and Sheikh Zayed, were the first to sit down at the negotiating table and explore the idea of a shared future. Gradually, the other emirates joined the initiative. This led to the creation of a new nation in 1971 – the United Arab Emirates. Ras Al Khaimah became part of the federation a little later, in 1972.

In addition to the main galleries, the museum features exhibition spaces, a library, an educational center, and a restaurant. Among the exhibits are personal belongings, documents, and accessories. These may seem like small details, but they are precisely what bring history to life. At the beginning of the exhibition, visitors are greeted by large portraits of the seven rulers, and it immediately becomes clear that behind every decision stood real people.

Ekaterina also spoke about the museum’s architecture. The building was conceived not as a conventional museum, but as a representation of the moment the nation was born. Natural light enters through openings of different shapes, while underground passageways lead to the Union House, where the agreement of union was signed. Outside, the Jumeirah shoreline of 1971 has been recreated, complete with a lagoon and a sandy beach.

When we stepped into the park beside the Union House, a group of schoolchildren was preparing for a flag-raising ceremony near the flagpole. It was November 3, UAE Flag Day. After the quiet galleries of the museum, the scene felt like a living continuation of the story we had just experienced. We stayed to watch the flag being raised before continuing our journey through the emirate-city.

Getting there: Neither the metro nor public buses serve the museum directly, so the most convenient way to get there is by taxi.