Almost two decades after the project was first announced, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is finally set to open its doors on December 11, 2026.

Located on Saadiyat Island, the new museum will become the fourth institution in the Guggenheim constellation, joining New York, Venice and Bilbao. Designed by the late architect Frank Gehry, it will also be the largest Guggenheim museum in the network, spanning an impressive 80,000 square metres.

Gehry, who died in 2025, is responsible for some of the most recognisable buildings of contemporary architecture. His portfolio includes the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Dancing House in Prague and the Hotel Marqués de Riscal in Elciego.

In Abu Dhabi, his architectural language takes on a distinctly Gulf-inspired character. The museum’s 30 galleries are arranged around a central atrium, while ten monumental sculptural cones rise dramatically above the building. Reaching up to 88 metres, the cones are not merely architectural statements: they also provide natural ventilation and shade, combining form with environmental function.

The museum includes 11,600 square metres of indoor gallery space as well as 23,000 square metres of outdoor exhibition areas. Its programme will focus on modern and contemporary art from the 1960s to the present, with a particular interest in connecting artistic voices across West Asia, North Africa, South Asia and the wider world.

Rather than following a traditional chronological route, the opening displays will explore themes including Abstraction, Popular Culture, Land, Language and Storytelling. The collection, which has been developed since 2009, brings together painting, sculpture, installation, photography, moving image and new media.

For Abu Dhabi, the opening marks another chapter in the transformation of Saadiyat Island into an international cultural destination. For architecture lovers, however, there is another reason to pay attention: Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be one of Frank Gehry’s final major buildings to reach completion, turning an architectural vision first conceived almost twenty years ago into a physical landmark on the Arabian Gulf.

On December 11, the wait will finally be over.