WHY NATIONAL MUSEUMS MATTER

Landmarks like Zayed National Museum are more than just repositories of artefacts — they are living institutions

- BY DR PETER MAGEE | Special to Gulf News

As we mark International Museum Day under the theme “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities,” I am reminded of the increasingly dynamic role national museums must play in today’s fast-evolving world.

In the UAE — where we can trace more than 300,000 years of human history, and where advancement and progress are at the heart of everything we do — this role is especially vital.

A national museum is far more than a repository of artefacts. It is a living institution and a platform for cultural connection. As our cities grow, our populations diversify, and our ways of engaging with culture shift, national museums must adapt without losing sight of their core mission: to preserve, interpret and share the richness of the past.

Museums at a crossroad