Qasr Al Watan is temporarily closed to visitors this month.
Abu Dhabi's Presidential Palace, which first opened to the public in March, will shut its doors between Sunday, November 10 and Saturday, November 16.
The palace, which houses the formal offices of the President, the Vice President and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, will reopen for visitors on Sunday, November 20.
The palace had previously announced it would close for 10 days, but narrowed the dates in a statement released today.
Tickets for the affected dates cannot be purchased on Qasr Al Watan's website, with the booking page saying: "This is a working government building, unexpected closures may occur."
Much of the "working palace" remains closed off, though 10 zones opened to the public for the first time earlier this year, such as the library, which features a collection of 50,000 books collected over 35 years, and the striking Great Hall, which houses a 37-metre-diameter dome.
-
The great hall at Qasr Al Watan, or Palace of the Nation, which opened its doors to the public in March 2019. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, announced the building based in the palace compound is open for visitors to take part in tours. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The decision to create the new cultural landmark, he said, came from the President Sheikh Khalifa in a bid to boost cultural understanding of the UAE. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Qasr Al Watan is a building inside the compound of the Presidential Palace, which houses the formal offices of the UAE's President and Vice President and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The Presidential Palace is the official meeting place for the UAE Cabinet and the Federal Supreme Council - the highest constitutional authority in the UAE. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A palace and garden ticket, which gives you access to all public spaces, inside and out, costs Dh60 for an adult and Dh30 for children aged four to 17 years. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Sculpture Santos looks at The Power of Words. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A Hermle Clock from Kazakhstan that sits in the presidential gifts room of Qasr Al Watan. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The presidential banquet hall. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
A sculpture of a horse from Turkmenistan in the presidential gifts room. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
An early Arabic papyrus, from the palace's "house of knowledge". Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Samurai armour from Japan, another gift to the UAE president. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Standard guided English or Arabic tours, directed by a tour guide, run every 30 minutes and cost Dh30 per visitor. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Visitors are able to see examples of Arabian craftsmanship and art and are able to create traditional calligraphy on interactive screens, as well as explore centuries of knowledge in books focusing on the UAE in the Qasr Al Watan library. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Al Kashool in the house of knowledge. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Visitors will also gain a deeper understanding about the rulers and institutions of the country. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
There are two gift shops – one in the visitor centre and one in the main palace building, selling “exquisitely crafted gifts” and souvenirs inspired by Qasr Al Watan. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Qasr Al Watan is housed in the Presidential Palace compound in Ras Al Akhdar, and was handed over by contractors in 2015 and finished in 2017.
It is the official meeting place for the UAE Cabinet and the Federal Supreme Council.
A palace and garden ticket, which gives you access to all public spaces, inside and out, costs Dh60 for an adult and Dh30 for children aged four to 17 years. Alternatively, a garden-only ticket to access the grounds and visitor centre costs Dh25 for adults and Dh12 for juniors.
Visitors affected by the closure can call the building's contact centre on 600 544 442 or email contact@qasralwatan.ae for more information.
