How discovery of 2,000-year-old tomb transformed Al Ain Museum

Redevelopment will incorporate 'live archaeology' when it reopens, says architect Sumaya Dabbagh

Visitors to Al Ain Museum will be offered a view of the live archaelogical excavation. Photo: Dabbagh Architects

Al Ain Museum, reopening on October 24, is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Guided by UAE-based Dabbagh Architects' design vision and inspired by recent archaeological discoveries, the redevelopment promises an immersive visitor experience – including 'live archaeology' uncovered during the project’s first phase.

“Al Ain Museum is a project we’ve been working on for some time,” says Sumaya Dabbagh, founder of the architectural firm commissioned by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi to conserve the museum’s historic structures and lead a major expansion.

A Saudi national raised between Jeddah and the UK, Dabbagh has built a reputation for designing culturally significant projects across the Emirates. Her firm worked on the Mleiha Archaeological Centre in Sharjah and the Mosque of Mohamed Abdulkhaliq Gargash in Al Quoz, the latter nominated for the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

UAE's oldest museum to reopen following redevelopment

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“When you work on cultural projects, it’s for a community,” says Dabbagh, who has been based in Dubai since the early 1990s, following stints in the UK and Paris. “It allows us to respond to the site and its context to create something deeply rooted in place, expressed through materiality – but still distinctly contemporary.”

A rendering of the redeveloped Al Ain Museum. Construction is set to finish in a few months. Photo: Dabbagh Architects

The museum sits next to the 7,000-year-old Al Ain Oasis, a Unesco World Heritage buffer zone in Al Ain City “We’re super excited,” Dabbagh says. “This went through two design iterations, beginning in 2018. When we started on site and began excavation during the first phase, we uncovered archaeological remains – so the project was paused for a year.”

Originally opened in 1971 under the direction of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Al Ain Museum is the UAE’s oldest. It was established to document the history of the region from the Stone Age to the founding of the nation, with a collection that includes flint tools, arrowheads and artefacts dating back to the sixth millennium BCE.

“The site has a long and rich history, and the new design responds directly to that narrative – to the context and memory of the place,” Dabbagh says. Two significant heritage structures form the core of the site: Sultan Fort, a mudbrick building dating from 1910, and the museum building itself.

Sumaya Dabbagh, founder of Dabbagh Architects. Photo: Dabbagh Architects

“In 2021, the client returned with a request to expand the project further – with new galleries and a complete design update. Now we have 'live archaeology' incorporated into the site, which adds an entirely new dimension,” Dabbagh adds.

Two major archaeological features have been discovered during excavation. The first is a funerary landscape, including a tomb estimated to be 2,000 years old. It is one of the few examples of pre-Islamic funerary architecture found in the region, providing new insight into Al Ain’s ancient history.

The second is an agricultural landscape comprising a network of aflaj – underground irrigation channels – dating to the early Islamic period (8th–10th century CE). The main falaj runs north to south across the site, while several smaller ones branch east to west, linking the system to the nearby oasis.

“These discoveries gave us an opportunity to integrate the findings into dedicated enclosed galleries,” Dabbagh says. “They add depth and richness to the visitor journey.”

The museum experience will be structured around two interactive pathways that trace different historical timelines. One begins with the archaeological journey – offering visitors a ground-level view of the live excavation. The other links the newly built galleries and existing museum spaces via an elevated route.

Stone cladding on the museum's exterior echoes the earthen tones of Sultan Fort. Photo: Dabbagh Architects

Externally, these pathways are reflected through architectural choices. “We used stone cladding in tones that echo the earthen material of Sultan Fort,” Dabbagh explains. “The museum experience flows through two permanent collection galleries – simple, white-rendered volumes that mirror the original 1971 structure.”

Additional facilities will include an educational studio, a public library and a cafe. Behind the scenes, the museum will also house a conservation lab for restoring artefacts and a large collection storage area.

“In honouring the site’s memory, we wanted to capture the spirit of place,” Dabbagh says. “We aimed to create continuity through a contemporary design language that respects the past – adding a new chapter to the Al Ain Museum’s story for generations to come.”

Al Ain Museum reopens on October 24