Personal items of Zayed go on display as part of Majlis Zayed Exhibition

Abu Dhabi: Some of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s personal items were put on public display for the first time on Wednesday as part of the Majlis Zayed Exhibition, which is taking place on the 90th floor of the Burj Mohammad Bin Rashid, the tallest building in Abu Dhabi.

The exhibition runs until January 28, with the first two days reserved for invited guests only, before the exhibition is opened for the public on Friday. The event is a joint effort between the World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi (WTC) who are hosting the exhibition, and the Museum Abu Dhabi, as the exhibition aims to celebrate the Year of Zayed.

“We wanted to mark the Year of Zayed with something very different and out of the box, and something that really reflects the vision of our late founder Shaikh Zayed. That’s why we decided to hold the Majlis Zayed at the highest point in Abu Dhabi, which accurately reflects how Shaikh Zayed took our country to the highest levels of success and achievements,” said Yassir Al Marzouqi, general manager of the WTC Abu Dhabi.

“We also gave it the name Majlis Zayed because the Majlis of Shaikh Zayed was always welcome and open to the people, and so we want to convey the same message here, welcoming the public to come and get a perspective on the life of Shaikh Zayed,” he added.

Al Marzouqi said the items ranged from personal ones that Shaikh Zayed himself used to paintings that were gifted to him.

“Some of what is on display are very unique items that are being put in public (view) for the first time, and they include personal items and gifted paintings. Among the personal items include the plate from which he used to eat helwa (Arabic sweet).

“All of these items have been collected by very serious collectors, and it has been hard work to get these items in this good condition,” he added.

“We hope that visitors who come to the exhibition will get the chance to see the simplicity of Shaikh Zayed through the pictures and items on display and how he used to live his life, which was a normal life,” he said.

Commenting on the significance of such exhibitions, Al Mazouqi said that they helped to keep the memory of the late founder of the UAE alive.

“Shaikh Zayed is always in our hearts, and so we want the people to get closer to him and his memory, we want to show the people why we love Shaikh Zayed,” he said.

“The Majlis Zayed gets to show the people the history of Shaikh Zayed, the real stories of his, and that is our main goal for holding this event. It is a great way to reflect on Shaikh Zayed and his life.”

Majlis Shaikh Zayed

Where: Burj Mohammad Bin Rashid, Abu Dhabi

When: January 24-28

Timing: 3pm–9pm