Al Ain Palace Museum

About this place

Al Ain Palace was the residence of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his family before he became the founding president of the UAE. Courtyards, majlis rooms, family quarters and service spaces illustrate domestic and political life in the oasis during the decades before rapid urban expansion and oil wealth transformed the country. A visitor can use the collections to connect individual objects with larger changes in Emirati life: oasis farming, pearling, dhow trade, household work, education, government and the transition after oil. Read dates and provenances closely and compare reconstructions with original artefacts, photographs and oral testimony. This makes the museum useful historical evidence rather than a display of attractive antiques. Exhibitions and opening arrangements can change, so check the official venue information before planning a journey.