Episode 100: A day out at the newly-opened Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi

This week, Culture Bites celebrates its 100th episode from the newly opened Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. Hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews tour the sprawling space in Saadiyat Cultural District and explore the 13.8 billion-year story of the universe. They speak to the museum’s director Peter Kjaergaard about the emotional connection to the natural world that he wants visitors to experience. He tells them about the hidden gems worth discovering beyond some of the main highlights, including surprise easter eggs placed across the museum. The central message, he says, is for people to recognise the power to create positive change for the planet. Enas and Farah also catch up with assistant curator Noora Albalooshi. She explains the process of curating science and talks about procuring artefacts including fossils that were excavated in Abu Dhabi. A dedicated gallery at the museum recreates the Arabian landscape of the UAE millions of years ago, and Noora says it often shocks visitors to see the savannahs and prehistoric creatures that roamed the region. The hosts give recommendations of their own of what not to miss at the museum, including battling T-rexes and a piece of the Moon you can touch.