DUBAI — The National Geographic has listed Dubai"s "Museum of the Future" as one of the 14 most beautiful museums in the world for its astounding architecture and sophisticated technological innovations. The Museum of the Future, an architectural marvel that sits at the bustling heart of Dubai, is set to become a new global landmark once complete. Mohammad Al Gergawi, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees and managing director of the Dubai Future Foundation, said the selection of the Museum of the Future as a major world icon, even before its completion, captures the UAE’s leading status in innovation, design and architecture. "Dubai has established itself as a center for creativity, thanks to the vision of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of UAE and ruler of Dubai. The emirate’s ambitions are reflected in an engineering miracle like Dubai"s Museum of the Future that has been globally recognized as the world’s most beautiful museums even before its completion." Al Gergawi added, "The museum presents the UAE’s and the world’s gateway to the future with its design and latest technologies. The engineering icon positions Dubai as a testbed for emerging technologies and an exploration base for talents, inventors and creative professionals from all over the world to unravel the greatest challenges that will shape the future of humanity. Once complete, the museum will give visitors a glimpse of the future." Spanning an area of 30,000 square meters, the seven-story pillarless structure stands at 77 meters high. The stainless-steel facade, which extends over 17,000 square meters, is illuminated by 14,000 meters of Arabic calligraphy designed by the Emirati artist Mattar Bin Lahej. The Museum is also linked by two bridges, the first extending to Jumeirah Emirates Towers, with a length of 69 meters, and the second linking it to the Emirates Towers metro station, with a length of 212 meters. The Arabic calligraphy that adorns the facade includes quotes by Sheikh Mohammed. Among the quotes are: "We may not live for hundreds of years, but the products of our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone." And "The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it... The future does not wait... The future can be designed and built today." The facade consists of 1,024 plates manufactured entirely by robots in a first-of-its-kind venture in the Middle East. Each plate of the facade consists of four layers, and each layer has been created after following 16 process steps. The installation period of the external facade lasted for more than 18 months, with each of the panels installed separately. A model for sustainability in creative design, Dubai"s Museum of the Future is powered by 4,000 megawatts of solar energy produced by a station connected to the building, in collaboration with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. Upon completion, the museum will be the first of its kind in the Middle East to obtain a Platinum Certification for Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design, the highest rating for green buildings in the world. The park surrounding the museum contains 80 species of plants, equipped with a state-of-the-art intelligent and automatic irrigation system. The Museum of the Future has won the Tikla International Building Award as a unique architectural model. Autodesk Design Software stated that the Museum is one of the most innovative buildings in the world. The building was designed by Engineer Sean Keila. — WAM