A variety of events and traditional activities highlighting the founder’s legacy and providing opportunities for visitors to experience traditional Emirati culture.

The Founder’s Memorial, a permanent national tribute to the late founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, celebrates the 48th UAE National Day with the participation of more than 10,000 visitors from all over the world. Various events and traditional activities that reflected the founder’s rich legacy and the UAE’s heritage and traditions were held.

To mark the occasion, the Memorial provided guided tours, where visitors learned about the late founder’s rich legacy, values, and dedication to the UAE and its people, and about the significance of this national occasion that is widely celebrated by citizens and residents as an expression of their appreciation and loyalty to the nation’s wise leadership.

The Memorial also organized a gallery titled “People at the Heart of a Leader” in collaboration with the National Archives that gathered photos of the late Sheikh Zayed participating in a number of national events ,sharing with citizens their joy and maintaining close relationship with his people. There were also photos of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; who continues to follow the path of the late leader by maintaining a strong bond with the people, interacting with them and sharing their joy. 


The festivities, in addition, included cultural heritage activities such as the local folk-dance Al-Ayyala’s experience, providing opportunities for visitors to experience traditional Emirati culture. It also provided visitors with the opportunity to participate in the planting of more than 500 Ghaf trees which are associated with the identity and heritage of the county and represent a great cultural value in the UAE. The activity furthermore represents an homage to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s legacy, stature and the values of tolerance and coexistence. 



The Founders Memorial was established to be a place of reflection, celebration, and gathering that instils pride in the UAE community and enables international visitors to learn more about Sheikh Zayed, the man, the pioneer, the champion of human development and the founder of a nation. It is located at the corner of Corniche Road and 18th Street along the Abu Dhabi Corniche. The Welcome Centre is open daily from 9 am to 10 pm. Free public parking is available. Information on programming, guided tours, and group visits can be found at the Memorial’s website, www.thefoundersmemorial.ae, or by calling 02-4100100. The latest updates from The Founder’s Memorial can also be accessed via Instagram @FounderMemorial and Facebook. The Founder’s Memorial is an entity of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.