Abu Dhabi: The world-famous ‘Stan’, a 39 foot-long (11.7 meters) and a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex will be displayed in Abu Dhabi’s new museum in the Cultural District on Saadiyat Island.
The announcement was made by thr Abu Dhabi Media Office (ADMO) on Wednesday.
It is also known that Stan is one of the best-preserved and most studied fossils of this iconic predator from the late Cretaceous period.
On October 6, 2020, Stan disappeared from the auction at Christie’s for $31.8 million, but the buyer remained unknown and there was no information about the rare piece that sold.
The mystery was however solved. Stan was headed to Abu Dhabi, to be shown in the city’s new Museum, a 377,000-square-foot project under construction on Saadiyat Island.
Abu Dhabi on Wednesday has announced that they are building a new museum—Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, which is due to be completed at the end of 2025. Stan will be one of the main attractions when it opens.
The new museum said to be the largest of its kind in the region, will take visitors on a 13.8 billion-year journey through time and space, from the beginnings of the universe to a glimpse at its possible future.
In addition to Stan, Murchison Meteorite specimen will also be part of the new museum’s collection. It crashed in Australia more than 40 years ago and contained the oldest material ever discovered on Earth.
The Natural History Museum in Abu Dhabi will also present, for the first time in the Middle East, the history of life on Earth through an Arab lens, where the local fauna, flora, and geological history of the region will be part of the visitor’s journey.
The museum was designed by the architectural firm Mecanoo and will cover an area of more than 35,000 square meters. The design alludes to natural rock formations, reflecting the museum’s mission to engage the public with the natural world.
The museum will also offer employment opportunities in Abu Dhabi as well as on a wider national and regional level.
