Dubai's Museum of the Future will open on February 22

Announcement made by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai

Dubai's Museum of the Future will embody the forward-thinking spirit of the UAE's founding fathers, a senior Emirati minister said. Photo: UAE Government Media Office

The museum opened its doors to the public on February 22. Photo: UAE Government Media Office

Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said that it would be much more than a museum, serving as a 'research lab' for the future. Photo: UAE Government Media Office

The museum will feature a dedicated space for children, helping to harness their love of learning. Photo: UAE Government Media Office

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, hailed it as the "most beautiful building on Earth". Photo: UAE Government Media Office

Workers are dwarfed by the Museum of the Future in this November 2019 picture. The intricate design is inspired by Arabic script. Antonie Robertson / The National

The striking structure was years in the making. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The opening date was pushed back several times and a 2020 opening date came and went as the pandemic hit. Photo: Dubai Media Office

This 2018 image shows the unique design taking shape. Antonie Robertson / The National

A cyclist poses for a photograph in front of the museum in November. AP Photo / Jon Gambrell

The unique facade was voted among the most striking in the world in a recent poll. AP Photo

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visit the museum in September. Wam

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid tries out some of the museum's technological features. Wam

Related: 28 of Dubai's most famous buildings: from Burj Khalifa to Museum of the Future

Dubai's eagerly-awaited Museum of the Future will open to the public on February 22.

The news was announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Thursday.

Sheikh Mohammed hailed the striking structure as the "most beautiful building on earth" when revealing the launch date on Twitter.

He said the grand opening of the Downtown Dubai venue will be part of an "exceptional year" for the Emirates.

The attraction has long been lauded as an architectural marvel and has already won global acclaim.

It was named one of the 14 most beautiful museums on the planet in a list compiled by National Geographic magazine in July.

Other eye-catching museums featured included Shanghai Museum of Astronomy in China, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the US capital, Washington, and the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum in Spain.

The spectacular landmark in Dubai was praised for its dazzling design and cutting-edge technological innovation.

Spanning an area of 30,000 square metres, the seven-storey structure is 77m tall.

The vast space will be home to a research centre with labs and classrooms, as well as space for museum-goers to experience new technologies

The stainless steel facade, which extends over 17,000 square metres, is illuminated by 14,000m of Arabic calligraphy designed by the Emirati artist Mattar bin Lahej.

Two bridges link to the museum. The first extends to Jumeirah Emirates Towers, with a length of 69m, while the second - 212m - links it to the Emirates Towers metro station.

The facade consists of 1,024 plates manufactured entirely by robots in a first of its kind venture in the Middle East. Each plate consists of four layers, with each layer created through a 16-step process, said officials.

Dubai's Museum of the Future will be powered by 4,000 megawatts of solar energy produced by a station connected to the building.

A park surrounding the museum contains 80 species of plants and is equipped with a state of the art intelligent and automatic irrigation system.

The futuristic museum is primed to be an incubator of ingenuity, attracting the brightest inventors and entrepreneurs and opening a window to the future for the general public.

It will showcase advanced technologies which will shape society for decades to come, including virtual and augmented reality, big data analysis, artificial intelligence and human-machine interaction.

Ruler of Dubai tours completed museum in September 2021: in pictures