I was one of the Museum of the Future's first visitors - this is what it's like

The new landmark was officially inaugurated by on Tuesday by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai

The Museum of the Future opened in Dubai. The emirate is focusing on 'industries of the future' to boost its economy. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

Avatar Aya speaks to guests as they go to the first chapter, OSS Hope space station.

The museum gives visitors a glimpse of Dubai in 2071.

Visitors travel to the first chapter, OSS Hope.

Visitors look at key elements of the solar system.

Visitors become Mars colony ambassadors to Earth.

Visitors look at a model of OSS Hope.

Vault of Life uses cutting-edge virtual and augmented reality technology to introduce visitors into an interactive experience where they collect samples from nature.

Their task is to contribute to efforts being made to restore the natural environment, rehabilitate the forest with its plants and animals, and help to repair the damage inflicted.

The nature simulator allows visitors to list the living organisms they contributed to saving virtually.

Visitors enjoy the second chapter, the Heal Institute.

The Heal Institute is a research centre focused on preserving the planet's ecosystem through the use of the latest AI and bio-technology.

The library, where arguably the museum’s most stunning feature lies.

Tomorrow Today exhibition includes advanced and pioneering technology that can help to shape the future of humanity.

Teslaglove that allows you to feel virtual reality objects.

A full metal jacket, made of 65% copper and resistant to viruses, is on display at the Tomorrow Today section.

MARS, Modular Artificial Reef Structure, at the Tomorrow Today section.

Visitors in the Tomorrow Today section.

The Future Heroes floor has been designed for children under the age of 10 to stimulate scientific curiosity.

It takes young people and younger generations on a future journey that expands their positive view of our world.

It also enhances their confidence in their abilities to make positive changes.

The children's floor aims to consolidate their belief in the potential of humanity to affect significant change and reinforce their conviction that nothing is impossible with science.

Al Waha focuses on health and wellness, offering visitors an opportunity to reconnect with themselves, away from the distraction of external influences and always-on technologies.

It takes them to a world that simulates the senses and heightens their response mechanism to external influences.

This allows them to meditate and enhance the natural balance within them without the use of technology.

The Connection Therapy in Al Waha.

The Museum of the Future will be a space for knowledge that gathers intellectuals and futurists from all over the world.

A drone of an octopus at the Museum of the Future.

A drone of a penguin at the Museum of the Future.

The Museum of the Future in Dubai opened its doors to the public on Wednesday.

At the Museum of the Future, not only will you see the impressive trajectory of the UAE, you will actually taste it.

That happens through the flavour of rich and expertly brewed coffee.

When entering the stunning venue near Dubai International Finance Centre, off Sheikh Zayed Road, you will find a cosy in-house cafe on the right.

There is no staff nor physical menu. Instead, a robot barista is on hand to make your favourite cuppa after ordering and paying via your mobile phone.

The flat whites are note-perfect, with a deft balance of milk and rich coffee that may elude mere mortals.

“It’s all about consistency,” says Wayne Oberholzer, of Dubai’s Nightjar Coffee Roaster. “I don’t think the days of the barista are numbered, but robots will augment what they do and they will maintain that quality at all hours of the day in various environments.”

If the caffeine doesn’t perk you up, the assortment of penguins and octopuses flying around the spacious white lobby will.

A drone of a octopus at the Museum of the Future which opened in Dubai on the 22nd of February. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The drones, powered by blue track-suited men in hidden corners, glide and pirouette in front of a series of capsule elevators silently zooming up and down the museum’s seven floors, almost kissing the walls adorned with engravings of Vice President and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's poetry.

Admire these and then move on to collect your pre-booked tickets at one of the many self-service kiosks.

Then your voyage to 2071 begins, at the Journey of the Pioneers, one of the museum’s five zones.

A dark room is lit by the video display of Aya, an Emirati virtual guide who ushers visitors into a nearby shuttle for their journey to outer space, to visit the UAE’s Orbiting Space Station.

We are already in 2071, she explains, so the station (currently in its research and development stage) has already launched and is safely transmitting data to the UAE Space Agency 600 kilometres above the Earth’s atmosphere.

Aya is a digital guide of The Museum of the Future. Chris Whiteoak / The National

That sense of the future is enhanced by the windows of the shuttle, which shows us soaring above a 2071 Dubai skyline marked by impossible, twisting skyscrapers and serene waterways.

At the space station, a series of ethereal rooms are home to various exhibits ranging from space helmets to “asteroid water” presently being developed by international space agencies. Visitors can apply for a job at the recruitment centre at a digital kiosk.

Journalist Saeed Saeed in his future role as an Asteroid Fleet Pilot. Photo: Saeed Saeed

My skills were deemed suitable for the role of an Asteroid Fleet Pilot and the zone’s human guide, Somaya Raja, explained I will “command” my own vehicle for “important missions”.

“So basically, I am a courier?” I ask. “No, no,” she assured me. “This is an important role.”

I descend back to Earth on the shuttle and visit the Heal Institute, a research centre focused on preserving the planet's ecosystem through the use of the latest AI and biotechnology.

This is where arguably the museum’s most stunning feature lies: The Library. It is home to digital representations of more than 2,000 DNA samples of living and extinct animals, vegetables and fauna.

Each item is displayed on neon-lit glass cases with information on its history accessed through a “bio-synth”, a gadget used by guides resembling a mini iPad.

The Library in the Museum of The Future. AFP

It is at the Heal Institute where you will also see a clear representation of what Dubai will look like 50 years from now.

The digital display shows an urban landscape where skyscrapers and buildings are expertly intertwined with green spaces.

Residents stroll spacious white piazzas while the skies are home to hundreds of zooming drones.

Interestingly, Sheikh Zayed Road exhibits smooth traffic uncharacteristic for the middle of the working day.

“That’s because a lot of deliveries and courier services are done by these drones,” says our tour guide.

“There will also be Hyperloop so transportation by then will be easy and very accessible.”

A look at Dubai's future. Chris Whiteoak / The National

It is that blend of optimism and concern for the planet that should ultimately prevent the Museum of the Future from becoming merely a curiosity.

A haven for science and culture lovers, as well as tourists, it stands as a majestic example of what the UAE will no doubt accomplish over the next 50 years, promising the best is yet to come.

More information is available at museumofthefuture.ae