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The mind-blowing numbers behind the Museum of the Future

By Andy Sambidge
The museum cost $136 million and took a decade to open from when the idea was first conceived
The museum cost $136 million and took a decade to open from when the idea was first conceived

The Museum of the Future is a “living museum” aiming to contribute to a deep intellectual movement, connecting thinkers and experts and acting as a test bed to create innovative solutions for global challenges.  

Rising 77 metres above the ground the structure was built using robotic technology and with an emphasis on sustainability. 

The façade is made of stainless steel and glass, consisting of 1,024 separate panels: the same number of bytes in a kilobyte which is the basic unit of the digital information storage system of computers.

The building is powered with 4,000 megawatts of solar energy. The pillarless structure is home to seven unique and distinct floors. 

The Museum of the Future employs the latest technologies of virtual and augmented reality, data analysis, artificial intelligence and human machine interaction. 

Five different exhibitions explore the future of space travel and living, climate change and ecology, health, wellness and spirituality. 

The visitor’s journey begins in the depths of our solar system – paying tribute to the Emirates Mars Mission project – before moving on to the future of healing, sustainability and bioengineering technology. This part of the exhibition also highlights the UAE’s position as one of the first countries to announce its commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. 

The museum will also showcase novel innovations from the near future through its partnerships with industry-leading companies.  

The headquarters to the Great Arab Minds initiative, launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in search of 1,000 great Arab minds.

  • Lighting, Light, Laser
  • Jacuzzi, Tub, Hot Tub
The exhibition immerses visitors in space travel and futuristic technology

Fact file: the UAE Centennial Plan 2071

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai launched the UAE Centennial Plan 2071 in 2017. 

It forms a roadmap for long-term government work, to fortify the country’s reputation and its soft power.

The plan aims to invest in future generations, by preparing them with the skills and knowledge needed to face rapid changes and to make the UAE the best country in the world by the next centennial in 2071 via these four pillars:

  • Future-focused government: Objectives include the UAE helping to achieve happiness in society and developing mechanisms for monitoring long-term variables in various sectors.
  • Excellent education: Areas of focus in education include advanced science and technology, space science, engineering, innovation and health sciences. Other educational measures include discovering individual talents early. On the institutional level, educational institutions are encouraged to be incubators of entrepreneurship and innovation and to be international research centres.
  • Diversified knowledge economy: Includes increased productivity; supporting national companies; investing in scientific research and promising sectors; focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship and advanced industries; development of a national strategy to shape the future of the UAE’s economy and industry; creating a generation of UAE inventors and scientists.
  • A happy and cohesive society: Objectives include establishing a secure, tolerant, cohesive and ethical society that embraces happiness and a positive lifestyle and a high quality of life. The pillar also focuses on developing programmes to prepare future generations to serve as the UAE’s goodwill ambassadors, as well as promoting women’s participation in all sectors.
  • Text, Art, Outdoors
  • Handrail, Banister, Person
The interior promotes wellness and serenity but also houses a dedicated space for children

Who is Majed Jakka Al Mansoori?

Educated at Purdue University in the US, Majed Jakka Al Mansoori graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and later completed an International Marketing Programme at the INSEAD Business School.

He was named a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Virtual and Augmented Reality in 2019.

He’s spent the last four years at the Dubai Future Foundation and has filled roles including project manager of both Area 2071, an ecosystem of innovative companies aiming to solve the challenges of tomorrow, and project manager of the Musuem of the Future before taking on his current role as deputy executive director.

Previously, he worked at Borouge, the joint venture of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Borealis of Austria.

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