Why Dubai’s Museum of the Future is a thrilling trip

Immersive exhibitions on space resource development, bioengineering and emerging technologies paint an interesting picture of our future world

It's the year 2071—the doors to a replica of a NASA space shuttle open and I take off to OSS Hope, 600 kilometres above the earth, accompanied by the sounds and movements of a simulated shuttle. Returning to terra firma, I dive straight into the Amazon rainforest, digitally, of course. I’m at Dubai’s newest attraction—Museum of the Future—a futuristic space exploring how science and technology will shape the evolution of society in the coming decades. Unlike other museums that delve into the past, this one resolutely looks forward; an incubator of sorts for scientists and researchers to display their bold visions for tomorrow. If you have ever wondered what the future will look like, you will find some answers here.

Architectural genius

Opened on the palindrome date of February 22 2022, the museum sits pretty on the arterial Sheikh Zayed Road, a seven-storey elliptical torus rising 77 metres above the ground. Designed by local architecture firm Killa Design, the structure is not just striking but is also an example of how buildings of the future can be conceived—with a combination of human skill and digital technology. The avant-garde façade consists of 1,024 panels, each created separately by computer algorithms that are then translated into moulds, overlaid with fibreglass and stainless steel, and finally placed in position (again, aided by digital technology). The panels are inscribed with the words of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, in artistic Arabic calligraphy, which doubles as windows allowing natural light to flood the building. The pillarless structure is powered with 4,000 megawatts of solar energy.

Back to the future

So, what can you expect from a trip to the museum? The excitement is palpable as soon as you step inside the stark white lobby; look up and you might spot a jellyfish drone floating around, replete with tentacles that extend and retract rhythmically. Head to the space shuttle “elevator” where Aya, the museum’s digital-avatar guide will orient you for your first “space flight,” exhorting you to "explore and return with discoveries that can help the present.” As the elevator zooms up, look outside the “window” for a peek at what Dubai will possibly look like in 2071, the year the UAE will celebrate its centenary.

Once you arrive at OSS Hope, use your smart wristbands to try on virtual spacesuits, join space missions and find out more about an effort to power the earth by harnessing energy from the moon. It’s all rather exciting and realistic, thanks to the exhibits driven by virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence and human-machine interaction.

Our next stop is the Heal Institute where cutting-edge simulations bring the Amazonian rainforest alive, allowing you to “see” how climate change is affecting our natural environment. My favourite part of the museum was the Vault of Life, a digital library containing the DNA of over 2,400 species on Earth. It’s an eye-catching display with colourful avatars of the animals seemingly suspended in glass cylinders. Use a handheld scanner to find out more about the species and its status (extinct, endangered, and so on). You can also try mixing and matching DNA sequences to create species or genetically modify extinct ones to test how the new species will impact their environments. It’s a fun activity albeit one that forces you to think about the damage inflicted on our ecosystems and how we can repair (some of) it.

A healing touch

If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the many experiences and the sheer volume of information coming your way, the next section of the museum will come as a welcome pause. Al Waha, which translates into “oasis,” is a calming, dusty-pink wellness area that encourages you to take a break from technology and reconnect to the world through the five senses. Take for instance, grounding therapy, where you stand between two large-scale gongs that are invisibly resonated by deep sub-frequencies to create an environment of therapeutic sound. Or the Feel Station where you can get a hand massage through supersonic waves beaming from a netted device. Connection therapy was rather interesting—I sat with a handful of other visitors around an interactive table and hummed together to drag individuals balls of light and merge them into a diamond. The therapy is designed to relieve feelings of loneliness and alienation by channeling the healing power of our collective voices, a much-needed reminder in our post-pandemic world.

The next chapter of your museum journey is called Tomorrow Today, an entire floor dedicated to near-future technologies. Created by some of the world’s leading innovators, these 30-odd prototypes are designed to address both present and future challenges, ranging from food security to evolving cities to environmental protection. Think self-driving cars, jet suits, even a remote-controlled falcon to keep a check on bird populations at farms and airports. I was particularly fascinated by Notpla (short for “not plastic”), a biodegradable material made from seaweed that can potentially replace single-use plastic packaging. More importantly, it is 100 per cent home-compostable, edible and soluble in hot or cold water. The final stop at the museum is Future Heroes, a dedicated space for children where they don capes and participate in missions. It’s not just a playground but an interactive imagination lab, letting the little ones improve their critical thinking and develop skills that will help them in the future.

I spent four days in Dubai and every time I drove past the museum, I couldn’t help but gape at it, especially at night when it shines bright, lit up by 14 kilometres of energy-saving, resource-efficient LED lights. I think about the quotes engraved on its body, and one, in particular, stands out: “The future belongs to those who imagine it, design it, and execute it. It isn’t something you await, but rather create.” From the process of its building to what it holds inside, the museum is a testament to human creativity and capability—and a legacy of hope for future generations.

Museum of the Future is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm; tickets at AED 145. Booking an entry time slot online is mandatory.

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