 "Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan attend Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi's VIP opening")
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, the latest addition to the Saadiyat Cultural District, marked its much-anticipated grand opening with an exclusive VIP preview on Thursday evening, bringing together global talent, cultural leaders and special guests for a first look inside the region’s newest landmark.
Ahead of the official public opening on 22 November 2025 in Abu Dhabi, Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan were spotted exploring the museum and enjoying an exclusive first look at its collections and dynamic exhibits. The actors experienced the immersive displays that bring natural history to life and encountered key highlights such as 67-million-year-old “Stan”, one of the best-preserved examples of a fossilised T. rex skeleton ever discovered.
The VIP opening also welcomed an exciting lineup of international celebrities from across film, television, music, art, and culture. Leading the red carpet were Abu Dhabi resident and global TV icon Steve Harvey; acclaimed special-effects designer and MythBusters star Adam Savage; and rising Hollywood talents David Iacono and Audrina Miranda, stars of the recent Jurassic World movie. Joining them were award-winning producer and entrepreneur Swizz Beatz; celebrated actors Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy) and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian); Tunisian-Italian model and cultural icon Afef Jnifen; and a host of other distinguished guests.
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, the largest institution of its kind in the Middle East, has a special focus on the natural history of the Emirates and the wider region. Galleries take visitors back in time to seven million years ago, when the Arabian climate was very different, giving life to a green and lush savannah-like landscape roamed by now-extinct animals, including a giant elephant with four tusks, which is also on display for visitors to discover.
The galleries feature extraordinary exhibits which bring nature’s greatest stories to life, including awe-inspiring glimpses into the age of dinosaurs. The world’s first-ever display of a sauropod dinosaur herd can be found in the museum’s atrium, with five different species of these long-necked giants standing majestically to greet visitors as they enter. Deeper into the galleries, another world-first awaits: a display featuring Tyrannosaurus rexes locked in battle over the carcass of a Triceratops, which is the first time two fossil T. rexes have been exhibited in such a dynamic scene.
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi joins a growing community of world-class institutions on Saadiyat Island, including Louvre Abu Dhabi, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, and the upcoming Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. Together, these institutions define the Saadiyat Cultural District as a global destination for culture, creativity, and cross-disciplinary exchange, a place where art, science, and heritage are brought together to shape future generations.
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