Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, witnessed the launch of the Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi project near the Cultural District on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. Upon its opening in 2030, the venue will be one of the largest facilities in the region dedicated to music and the performing arts, equipped with the latest global theatrical and production technologies to present performances, events, and artistic activities throughout the year.
The project includes a multipurpose main hall with a capacity of more than 2,000 seats, an open-air amphitheatre seating 3,500, a theatre studio seating 400, and a jazz club accommodating 250 seats. Total capacity across the venue's various artistic facilities will exceed 6,000 seats, enabling it to host the world's finest artistic productions and offer exceptional cultural experiences for local, regional, and international audiences.
Sheikh Khaled reviewed the master plans for Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi and received a detailed briefing on the project's architectural vision, its implementation phases, and the advanced facilities and equipment designed to the highest international standards for hosting leading global artistic productions.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan affirmed that investment in cultural infrastructure forms an essential part of Abu Dhabi's comprehensive development vision, which believes in the vital role of the arts in enhancing the quality of community life, consolidating values of openness and civilisational dialogue, and building bridges of communication between peoples and cultures — within a forward-looking vision that regards culture as a strategic driver of sustainable development and a fundamental engine of the knowledge-based economy.
Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi will serve as a permanent home for a wide range of world-class performances, including opera, ballet, theatre, and other live performing arts. It will also provide a platform for long-term artistic residencies, international touring partnerships, and co-productions with the world's foremost performing arts institutions, attracting renowned artists and global ensembles while opening new horizons for Emirati and regional talent.
The project was commissioned by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and designed by the late internationally acclaimed architect Frank Gehry, one of the most prominent pioneers of contemporary architecture. Gehry has already left a distinguished mark on the emirate's cultural landscape through his design of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum, which is set to open within the Saadiyat Cultural District.
The project embodies an architectural vision inspired by music and the performing arts, featuring a transparent façade that reflects Abu Dhabi's openness to creativity and cultural exchange — a qualitative addition to the constellation of world-class cultural landmarks the emirate is home to.
On the occasion, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: