Abu Dhabi Presidential Palace to open its doors to the public

Qasr Al Watan will open its doors for visitor tours from March 11

The Presidential Palace seen from the Arabian Gulf in Abu Dhabi. Alamy

Inside the Presidential palace during a reception held by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohamed bin ayed in December 2018. Ministry of Presidential Affairs

The Presidential Palace during the visit of Mahamadou Issoufou, President of Niger. Ministry of Presidential Affairs ---

The national flags of Vatican (L) and the UAE during a reception for Pope Francis. AFP

The Presidential Palace honour guard during the visit of Pope Francis. Ministry of Presidential Affairs

The road leading to the Presidential Palace. Ministry of Presidential Affairs

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid receiving the credentials of several foreign ambassadors on March 3, 2019. WAM

LATEST: Everything you need to know about visiting Abu Dhabi's Presidential Palace

The public will be able to take a glimpse inside the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi for the first time next week.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, announced on Monday that a building in the palace compound, named Qasr Al Watan – or Palace of the Nation – will open for visitors to take part in tours.

The decision to create the new cultural landmark, he said, came from the President Sheikh Khalifa in the bid to boost cultural understanding of the UAE.

The doors to Qasr Al Watan will open everyday from 12pm on March 11. The permanent cultural landmark will then open daily from 10am - 8pm. The tour will show visitors a library that is home to vast collection of books and resources about the Emirates political, social and cultural history.

Visitors will also be able to experience interactive cultural exhibitions. In the west wing, they will learn about the formation of the UAE and its governance, and have access to halls typically reserved for official summits. Within the House of Knowledge in the east wing, visitors can explore a vast collection of artefacts and rare manuscripts that highlight the Arab world’s contributions to various intellectual fields including science, arts, humanities and literature.

In the evening, visitors will enjoy a light and sound show which will be projected onto the facade of the building. A story told in three acts, the show will draw a link between the aspirations of Qasr Al Watan and the vision of the nation, reflecting on the UAE’s journey of the past, present and future, reported state news agency Wam.

The Presidential Palace is the official meeting place for the UAE Cabinet and the Federal Supreme Council - the highest constitutional authority in the UAE. It is also where official state visits and global leaders are hosted. Construction of the palace was completed in 2015 by the Consolidated Contractors Company and took 63 months but the project also involved a host of architects, interior designers, landscape gardeners and contractors.

It is built on the Ras Al Akhdar peninsula, beside Emirates Palace hotel, and the area including the palace and gardens encompasses 150 hectares.

The style of the palace shares similarities with the hotel and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in that it has flickers of Mughal-era architecture that was in vogue during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Chief characteristics of this style include large onion-style domes, courtyards, delicate ornamentation and lush gardens.

The palace houses the formal offices of the the President, Vice President and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, while it has also played host to a roster of global leaders since 2015.

Narendra Modi, the prime minster of India and Xi Jinping, president of China, have been hosted during their visits to the UAE.

Sheikh Mohammed bestowed the Order of Zayed on Mr Xi at the palace during his July trip.

The move to open the palace comes as Abu Dhabi makes a sustained push to attract more tourists. The capital welcomed more than 10.27 million visitors in 2018, while Louvre Abu Dhabi attracted a million in the year since it opened on November 11, 2017. The recently re-opened Qasr Al Hosn fort in the centre of Abu Dhabi is also expected to boost numbers coming to the capital.

To book a tour or for more information visit QasrAlWatan.ae.