The Founder's Memorial

The unique cultural attraction celebrates the life, legacy, and values of Sheikh Zayed and offers a unique opportunity to immerse in the history and culture of the UAE. The visitor experiences within the Sheikh Zayed Memorial are designed to reveal aspects of the country’s broader social, cultural and environmental heritage, including art, stories, and exhibitions. Spread over 3.3 hectares of beautifully landscaped public space with indigenous flora, the memorial features a Sanctuary Garden including seating areas and a traditional “falaj” water channel, a Heritage Garden rich with medicinal desert plants, and an elevated walkway offering captivating views of The Constellation, the Arabian Gulf, and the city’s dazzling skyline.
The centerpiece of the retrospective is The Constellation, a monumental three-dimensional portrait of Sheikh Zayed designed by public artist Ralph Helmick that features 1,327 geometric shapes suspended on more than 1,000 cables. The installation can be experienced differently from multiple vantage points and at night, the shapes shine like stars, evoking the timelessness of the founder’s vision as a guiding light. Set in a 30m-high Pavilion, the artwork is one of the largest art installations of its kind, and unique in its use of abstract portraiture on this scale.