The Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum, the largest of its kind in the Middle East, opened to the public on Saturday. Spanning 13.8 billion years of natural history, the museum invites visitors to trace the origins of the universe and explore the evolution of life on Earth. A wide range of valuable exhibits is on display, complemented by interactive installations that deepen the visitor experience. "Our story begins at the beginning of time itself, so 13.8 billion years ago, and that's the big bang. And as you leave that first gallery, then you enter the world of the dinosaurs. And this is not what the museum is just about, because from here you go into life after the dinosaurs in the Baynunah Formation in the western region of Abu Dhabi. Then through there, you enter the world today and celebrate the biodiversity on our planet. And the final gallery gives you an opportunity to see what nature can do for us, but what also we can do for nature," said Phil Manning, deputy director with the museum. Among the visitors was Spanish paleontologist Alvaro Simarro, who participated in the museum's exhibition layout. "We were really lucky to be part of specifically these two T-rexes. It's like a dream since when we were kids and specifically this Stan, the one on the right, is a really famous specimen," said Simarro. One of the museum's most awe-inspiring exhibits is the Murchison meteorite, a space rock that fell in Australia in 1969 and carries the chemical seeds of life. "It's hard to choose a favorite object in the museum because they're all part of that beautiful tapestry. One of the first objects you meet when you enter the first gallery is the Murchison meteorite. The grains from which it formed contained material solar grains, which are older than our solar system. It also contains amino acids and sugars, which are critical for life on earth. These are the building blocks of proteins. So for me, that one object sums up the whole museum," said Manning. SHOTLIST: Abu Dhabi, UAE - Nov 22, 2025 1. Various of exhibits, visitors at Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum; 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Phil Manning, Deputy Director, Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum (partially overlaid with shot 3/ending with shot 4): "Our story begins at the beginning of time itself, so 13.8 billion years ago, and that's the big bang. And as you leave that first gallery, then you enter the world of the dinosaurs. And this is not what the museum is just about, because from here you go into life after the dinosaurs in the Baynunah Formation in the western region of Abu Dhabi. Then through there, you enter the world today and celebrate the biodiversity on our planet. And the final gallery gives you an opportunity to see what nature can do for us, but what also we can do for nature."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 3. Various of visitors, exhibits; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 4. Screen showing image of Earth; 5. Various of dinosaur fossils on display; 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Alvaro Simarro, Spanish paleontologist: "We were really lucky to be part of specifically these two T-rexes. It's like a dream since when we were kids and specifically this Stan, the one on the right, is a really famous specimen."; 7. Various of dinosaur fossils, visitors posing for photos; 8. Various of specimen on display; 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Phil Manning, Deputy Director, Abu Dhabi Natural History Museum (partially overlaid with shots 10-11): "It's hard to choose a favorite object in the museum because they're all part of that beautiful tapestry. One of the first objects you meet when you enter the first gallery is the Murchison meteorite. The grains from which it formed contained material solar grains, which are older than our solar system. It also contains amino acids and sugars, which are critical for life on earth. These are the building blocks of proteins. So for me, that one object sums up the whole museum."; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 10. Sign of Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi; 11. Various of visitors, exhibit; [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 12. Interior of museum. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]