Designed by Frank Gehry and rising on Saadiyat Island, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is expected to open in 2026.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is the forthcoming outpost of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, developed in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi. Set in the heart of Saadiyat Cultural District, it is positioned as the region’s pre-eminent museum of global modern and contemporary art, built to expand how the story of contemporary culture is collected, exhibited, and discussed.
The museum’s home is as headline-worthy as what will hang on its walls. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, the building sits on Saadiyat Island with the Arabian Gulf wrapping around it on three sides. Its sculptural form is defined by a cluster of asymmetrical cones that double as entrances and outdoor exhibition spaces, with covered courtyards shaped for the local climate. Expect design cues that nod to regional wind-tower traditions, using shade, airflow, and spatial drama to make the architecture part of the experience.
Inside, the project is planned as a full-scale cultural engine: galleries for permanent displays and special exhibitions, alongside an education centre, archives and library, research facilities, and restoration and conservation capability. At roughly 30,000 square metres, it is expected to be the largest Guggenheim globally, designed for ambitious commissions and flexible formats beyond the classic white-cube model.
As for what’s coming to the walls, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi’s collection spans art since around 1960 and already totals more than 600 works. The emphasis is global, with a specific focus on West Asia, North Africa, and South Asia, foregrounding cross-cultural exchange and under-sung voices. As DCT chairman Mohamed Al Mubarak put it: “The collection itself is truly global.”
Bigger than a blockbuster, the museum is being framed as a civic destination. “Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is going to be a lot more than a museum,” Al Mubarak said, signalling a space designed for gathering as much as viewing. With Saadiyat’s cultural neighbours such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, teamLab Phenomena, The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum already drawing crowds, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi looks set to be the district’s next must-visit moment.
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