Sphere Vegas has marked the opening of the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi with a display featuring dinosaurs found in Saadiyat Culture District's latest landmark.
The highly anticipated museum, which takes visitors on a journey through time and space, opened on Saturday. Sphere Vegas’s tribute is especially fitting, as its second venue is set to be built in the UAE capital. The 20,000-capacity entertainment venue, which opened in Las Vegas in 2023, is famed for its 16K resolution wraparound screens.
While an opening date or location for Sphere Abu Dhabi are yet to be revealed, officials said in August that the preconstruction phase was in its final stage.
Spanning more than 35,000 square metres, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi chronicles several eras of natural history with a focus on the Arabian region. The cultural attraction will take visitors on a journey through time, from the formation of the universe and the solar system to the evolution of life on Earth, the age of dinosaurs and the extensive biodiversity of the present day.
Star attractions include the 11.7-metre-tall fossilised skeleton of Stan, the Tyrannosaurus rex; a seven-billion-year-old meteorite; and a recreation of Abu Dhabi from seven million years ago.
Its opening ceremony on November 21 was attended by UAE leaders, dignitaries as well as Bollywood and international celebrities including Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, as well as Indian actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.
The Khans, two of the biggest Bollywood stars, also spent time touring the museum's collections and exhibits along with guests.
"This is mind-blowing," Shah Rukh Khan said in a video of the tour posted by Visit Abu Dhabi.
"This is the real Jurassic Park," Salman Khan adds.
Other international celebrities at the event included TV presenter Steve Harvey; Adam Savage, host of the science TV show MythBusters; and Jurassic World stars David Iacono and Audrina Miranda. Joining them were music producer and entrepreneur Swizz Beatz; and actors Ron Perlman and Giancarlo Esposito.
