Dubai has revealed the architectural designs for its inaugural modern and contemporary art museum, marking a significant milestone in the emirate's cultural development. The Dubai Museum of Art (DUMA), designed by renowned Japanese architect and Pritzker Prize winner Tadao Ando, will be located along a creek in the city, fed by one of the arms of the Persian Gulf. The museum is intended to become "a new cultural beacon for the United Arab Emirates," though construction timelines and opening dates have not yet been announced.

The architectural plans, released by the Al-Futtaim Group conglomerate, show DUMA will be built on a small circular peninsula, accessible via a stylized concrete promenade spanning several dozen meters. Ando explained that his design draws inspiration from two symbols of Dubai's heritage: the sea and the pearl. The five-story building will resemble the curved, white, and modern hull of a boat, surrounded by a grove of palm trees that will enhance the contemporary art museum's aesthetic appeal.

A distinctive feature of Ando's design includes a central opening in the roof, allowing light to cascade down into the main exhibition hall like the shimmer of a pearl, as the architect describes it. Omar Al Futtaim, Vice President and CEO of Al-Futtaim Group, praised Ando for speaking "the language of light, silence, and the soul." The museum will house "a varied selection of modern and contemporary artworks, chosen to reflect Dubai's spirit" on the first and second floors, according to preliminary information released to the press.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's current ruler and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, emphasized the museum's significance in a statement. "The Dubai Museum of Art will be a new beacon for the city, enriching its artistic scene and further strengthening its global cultural status," he declared. He added that "culture and art are the soul of a city and the prism through which its progress is visible. They reflect its vision and the depth of its humanitarian mission."

The museum's upper floors will serve multiple functions beyond exhibition space. The third floor will feature a VIP lounge and restaurant, while additional facilities will include a library, study rooms, and modular spaces capable of hosting art salons. The construction of this site, whose financing remains confidential, aligns with the UAE's political ambition to be recognized as an important cultural hub in the Middle East.

Dubai's cultural landscape has been rapidly evolving in recent years. In 2017, an exhibition space designed by architect Rem Koolhaas, also a Pritzker Prize winner, opened in the Askeral district. Five years later, the Museum of the Future established itself in the business district. The Persian Gulf region will further cement its cultural significance with Art Basel coming to Qatar in 2026, demonstrating the region's growing influence in the international art world.