Dubai’s Museum of the Future has reached an extraordinary milestone, welcoming over 4 million visitors from across the globe since its official inauguration on February 22, 2022. This remarkable feat solidifies the museum’s reputation as one of the foremost cultural and scientific landmarks worldwide, ranking among the most frequented destinations both regionally and internationally.
Achieving this milestone in under four years highlights the museum’s growing allure as an exceptionally distinctive venue that seamlessly integrates science fiction, immersive experiences, and visionary foresight within a cohesive framework of knowledge and culture. The museum truly reflects Dubai’s vision and mission to lead in future foresight.
The Museum of the Future continues to serve as a global hub for innovation and forward-thinking, acting as a unifying platform for changemakers, thought leaders, and experts, while also being a pivotal driver of scientific and technological advancement on a global scale.
His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, chairman of the Museum of the Future, remarked that the museum’s record visitor count is a vivid representation of the exceptional vision held by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. This vision aims to establish Dubai as a global hub ffor the future, a destination welcoming creators, scientists, and innovators from around the globe.
Reviving Arab civilization
His Excellency elaborated: “The Museum of the Future embodies the ambition of Dubai to become a global capital for designing and shaping the future; a beacon of hope that unites optimists and aspirants from all cultures and nationalities. The museum is not merely an architectural monument; it is a platform for empowerment and capacity-building, aiming to ignite the spark of inspiration in those who aspire to shape the future by posing big questions and anticipating possible answers.”
His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi also stated: “The Museum of the Future is a vibrant centre for knowledge and thought, striving to enhance cultural and intellectual exchange and to revive the civilisational role of the Arab region in shaping the future of humanity. The museum will continue to make impactful contributions in supporting Dubai’s and the UAE’s future strategies across various fields, whether through its dialogue platforms, knowledge programs, or global partnerships with prestigious institutions and research centres.”
“We believe that the future is not something to be waited for but rather created. From this perspective, the Museum of the Future embraces the culture of future foresight that has transformed the UAE into one of the world’s most advanced countries in less than fifty years. Like our city Dubai, the museum will remain a symbol of tolerance, coexistence, openness, creativity, and innovation, attracting diverse cultural, philosophical, and social perspectives to establish a future rooted in the values of the UAE and the Arab world, and inspired by the journey of humanity,” His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi concluded.
Diverse events and conferences
Located in the heart of Dubai, the Museum of the Future is a distinguished destination for government officials, decision-makers, experts, intellectuals, and hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. It serves as a global platform for converging visions and ideas, as well as a permanent venue for dialogue regarding the challenges and opportunities facing the future of humanity.
Since its inauguration, the museum has hosted 423 events, conferences, forums, and seminars, covering a broad spectrum of topics such as AI, sustainable cities, and the future of education, health, economy, work, and technology. These events have also explored the arts and numerous other fields, all with a focus on placing humanity’s well-being at the forefront.
International delegations and state visits
The Museum of the Future has firmly established itself as one of Dubai’s leading cultural landmarks and a premier destination for visitors worldwide.
It has also become a key site for leaders, officials, and dignitaries during their visits to the UAE. Over the past year alone, the museum has welcomed a variety of international dignitaries, including the Prime Minister of Lebanon, vice president of Tanzania, the deputy prime minister of Belgium, prime minister of Vietnam, and former president of the Republic of Liberia.
The museum’s guests have included His Excellency Andry Rajoelina, president of the Republic of Madagascar; His Excellency Félix Ulloa, vice president of the Republic of El Salvador; His Excellency Sonexay Siphandone, prime minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic; and Her Excellency Željka Cvijanović, chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Museum of the Future also welcomed 610 international media delegations, who covered its extensive range of activations, experiences, and events, emphasizing its crucial role in shaping discussions about the future. It attracted visitors from over 180 nationalities, reinforcing its function as a cultural and interactive bridge between individuals from around the world.
Throughout the year, the Museum of the Future continues to assert its position as a dynamic platform, hosting a diverse array of unique events and initiatives that examine future challenges from scientific, humanitarian, and technological perspectives. The Dubai Future Forum stands out among these initiatives, being the largest global gathering of futurists. It has attracted more than 3,650 experts from over 100 countries, serving as a platform for exchanging visions on the future paths of vital sectors.
Engaging future thinkers
The Museum of the Future hosts dozens of conferences, events, and global gatherings annually, including notable activities as part of the ‘Dubai AI Week,’ which occurred last April under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation Board of Trustees. This event attracted more than 30,000 participants and experts from around the globe, alongside the largest global technology firms and the most promising startups.
The 2025 edition of ‘Dubai AI Week,’ organised by the Dubai Center for Artificial Intelligence, is an initiative of the Dubai Future Foundation. It featured 10 major events across the city, over 250 panel discussions and workshops, and witnessed the launch of more than 30 initiatives, partnerships, and agreements between government entities, the private sector, investors, and startups.
The Museum of the Future has introduced a series of intellectual lectures titled ‘Lessons from the Past at the Museum of the Future.’ Throughout 2025, the world-renowned historian and researcher, Dr. Roy Casagranda, has been delivering lectures that draw upon his extensive expertise in the history of civilisations and his unique ability to present past narratives in an inspiring manner. This initiative aligns with the museum’s commitment to enhancing its role as a platform for intellectual innovation, sustainable learning, and future foresight. The new program, consisting of over 10 exclusive lectures, aims to explore key milestones in history interactively, highlighting aspects that can be effectively utilized and invested in.
Both the ‘Future Talks’ and ‘Future Experts’ series are central to the museum’s annual agenda. Held regularly, these sessions address cutting-edge topics like AI, sustainability, education, the arts, and the economy, featuring a select group of international thinkers, decision-makers, and experts.
Exploring careers of tomorrow
In a distinctive intellectual and cultural setting, the Museum hosts the ‘Ramadan Majlis,’ which brings together a distinguished group of experts and thinkers for discussions that delve into the role of values in shaping the future. These discussions center on how ethical principles can guide the development of modern technologies, aiming to foster a more humane and responsible future.
The Museum is dedicated to empowering younger generations with future readiness skills through programs like the annual ‘Future Heroes Summer Camp.’ This initiative offers children and young adults a unique opportunity to explore the future through hands-on workshops and immersive experiences, equipping them with the creativity and knowledge necessary to navigate the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
The museum also conducts a series of workshops focused on future-oriented careers that align with the latest professional trends. These workshops emphasize specialized sectors such as agri-tech, vertical farming, and sustainability careers, providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of the skills needed in an ever-evolving world.
The museum’s hosting of the international Gaming Matters event marked a significant milestone in exploring the future of the video games industry. It convened leading global companies such as Epic Games and Walt Disney, along with experts and designers from the esports sector, to exchange insights on future trends in this rapidly growing field.
Gateway to the future for everyone
The Museum of the Future embodies Dubai’s ambitious spirit, where creativity and innovation know no limits. It represents the convergence of the past, present, and future in an extraordinary architectural landmark designed to reflect human progress and serve as an open platform for imagination, experience, and discovery.
With over 4 million visitors, the museum demonstrates that it is not just a unique architectural icon but also a vibrant space for engaging with and shaping the future within an inspiring environment that celebrates the human mind and its capacity for imagination and transformation.
Dubai’s rising visitor numbers
Dubai’s evolving destination offering, propelled by significant public-private partnerships and enhanced through a formidable global marketing strategy, led to the city welcoming 9.88 million international overnight visitors from January to June 2025—a 6 percent increase compared to the same timeframe in 2024, as reported by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
According to the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dubai received over 19 million visitors in 2024, reinforcing the city’s continuing status as a top global tourism and business hub. The Museum of the Future contributes significantly to Dubai’s cultural tourism sector, accounting for a notable portion of visitor engagement in experiential and futuristic tourism offerings.
The Arab World Innovation Index 2024, issued by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with the Global Innovation Index (GII) initiative, highlights the UAE as the leading country in the Arab region for innovation investment and output, with Dubai recognized as a nucleus for innovation hubs and future-oriented institutions like the Museum of the Future.
UAE’s global innovation standing
Moreover, the Global Innovation Index 2024 report by WIPO details that the UAE ranks in the top 50 most innovative countries worldwide, with significant improvements in technological readiness and knowledge absorption, areas that institutions like the Museum of the Future actively promote through their programs and partnerships.
The Museum also collaborates with renowned international organizations including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) on various initiatives aimed at achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), utilizing foresight, technology, and innovation as core strategies to address global challenges.
The Impact Report 2024 from the Dubai Future Foundation, which oversees the Museum of the Future, provides insights into its contribution towards nurturing innovation ecosystems, with over 700 startup incubations and accelerations facilitated through its connected platforms, a 25% increase compared to the previous year.
In addition, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) recognized the Museum of the Future in 2023 for achieving record annual visitor numbers within its category of educational and scientific visitor attractions in the Middle East, highlighting its role as an unparalleled cultural and scientific venue that merges entertainment with education.
