The Founder's Memorial

The Founder's Memorial is a permanent national monument honoring the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE's founding father, and celebrating his life, legacy, and principles.

The Founder's Memorial, a location to learn about Sheikh Zayed through nature, art, stories, words, and multimedia experiences, offers visitors a variety of close encounters with the late Sheikh Zayed as a man and as a leader, allowing people to better understand his enormous influence on the United Arab Emirates and the rest of the world.

The Constellation, a dynamic three-dimensional picture of the late Sheikh Zayed that can be viewed from various angles around the memorial, is the centerpiece of The Founder's Memorial. It is a large-scale work of public art. The Constellation's shapes take on a starry appearance at night, representing the timeless nature of Sheikh Zayed's vision for the UAE.

Every voyage of discovery at The Founder's Memorial is immersive. You will have several incredibly intimate experiences with Sheikh Zayed the person and the leader, as well as with the values and causes he supported. You will also learn about his life and legacy and the many elements of his visionary leadership.

The Constellation is surrounded by several gardens. There is a raised promenade that offers wonderful views of the Constellation and plaques with motivational sayings from Sheikh Zayed are placed all around it.

In front of the memorial for the general public is the Sanctuary Garden, which has various native species as well as Ghaf and Sidr trees.

Falaj Water Channel is intended to be the gardens' primary water element. It is modeled after the historic aflaj irrigation system, which for generations provided water to the UAE's citizens.

The Heritage Garden is a specially designed area of the gardens that is home to native species with long histories of use, such as Henna, Desert Cotton, and Toothbrush Tree. A modest but intriguing and instructive presentation.

Additional information is available in a tourist center, which also showcases an intriguing short video tracing the development of the remarkable idea of The Constellation from conception through construction's complexity and eventual completion. All-day long, visitors can request free 30-minute tours of the location online or in person.

The monument is especially lovely at night when the face of Sheikh Zayed is illuminated by thousands of tiny lights. You can sit down and see a video about this incredible man in the adjacent building. How he transformed the UAE into a wealthy nation and how he returned everything to his citizens and foreign residents.