Dubai has built a reputation on architectural ambition. It is home to the tallest tower in the world, the largest shopping mall, and a manmade island shaped like a palm tree. Each of these projects turned imagination into concrete reality. Now the city is preparing to add another milestone to its skyline, a floating museum that brings together history, innovation, and art.
Rising above the waters of Dubai Creek, the Dubai Museum of Art, known as DUMA, will literally float. The project was unveiled by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who described it as part of Dubai’s mission to strengthen its position as a global capital of culture and creativity.
Designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, DUMA takes its inspiration from the sea and the pearl, two enduring symbols of Dubai’s heritage. Its curved exterior surrounds a circular exhibition hall, where natural light enters through a central opening, creating the soft glow of a pearl. DUMA’S thoughtful architecture connects Dubai’s maritime history with its forward-looking creative energy.
DUMA is designed to serve as a living platform for cultural dialogue. The museum will rise five stories above the water with exhibition halls on the first two floors, a restaurant and VIP lounge on the third, and supporting facilities below. It will also host artist talks, panel discussions, educational programs, and art fairs. A library and study rooms will support research and creative training for future generations.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed has often said that culture and art are the soul of a city. DUMA embodies this belief. Developed by Al Futtaim Group and designed in Ando’s minimalist style, the museum is essentially a meditative space that invites reflection.
When it opens, the Dubai Museum of Art will not only display art but become a work of art itself, a new symbol of Dubai’s commitment to creativity and its enduring belief in the power of imagination.
