The latest additions to the register include schools, parks and water towers
Abu Dhabi is officially giving some of its most iconic modern landmarks a permanent spot in history.
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has added more than 40 sites to its Modern Heritage Register, meaning these buildings and spaces will now be protected and preserved by law.
These buildings are places that tell the story of Abu Dhabi’s growth over the past few decades.
From the 1960s onward, the emirate has transformed rapidly, and these sites capture that journey: the rise of modern architecture, the expansion of cities, and the foundations of civic life.
What makes a building a Modern Heritage landmark?
According to Abu Dhabi Culture’s official website, a modern heritage site will be listed if it follows one or more of the following criteria:
- Is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Abu Dhabi’s history or yields information that will contribute to the understanding of Abu Dhabi’s history.
- value or due to the fact that it demonstrates a high degree of creativity at a particular period in technology, architecture, monument design, town-planning, or landscape design.
- Has a strong or special association with a particular community, locality or cultural group for social or cultural reasons; or has a special association with the life or works of a person, or group of persons, of importance.
- Contributes to the collective memory of a particular group or the nation at large by serving as a physical reminder of that memory and by increasing their emotional bond with that particular resource.
H.E. Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, explained why this matters: “Modern heritage is more than concrete and glass; it’s a reflection of who we are and where we come from. By registering these sites, we’re preserving the places that shaped our communities and keeping that history alive for future generations.”
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Among the newly listed sites are some real gems. There’s the former Abu Dhabi International Airport – Terminal 1 (1982), a landmark from the city’s early aviation days.
Al Ain Museum, one of the country’s first cultural institutions, is also now formally protected. And the former National Consultative Council building (1968), where early governance in Abu Dhabi took shape, joins the list as well.
Other additions include schools, mosques, water towers, bus stations, and even parks; reflecting a mix of civic, cultural, and infrastructural landmarks that locals may already know and love.
Some highlights are the Corniche Tower, Capital Park Urban Ensemble, Sir Bani Yas Water Tanks, and SABIS® International School – Al Bateen.
The Modern Heritage Register is about taking care of them. Owners have been notified, and restoration and maintenance will now be prioritised based on each site’s significance.
DCT Abu Dhabi hopes the register will also encourage residents to notice, appreciate, and even help protect the heritage around them.
What are the Modern Heritage sites in Abu Dhabi?
This expansion is part of a bigger effort to make sure that Abu Dhabi’s modern story isn’t lost amid rapid growth.
These buildings, parks, and schools are pieces of a living history, a bridge between the past and the present, showing how far the emirate has come and where it’s heading next.
The full list of Modern Heritage sites in Abu Dhabi includes:
- Cultural Foundation
- Abu Dhabi Bus Terminal and Taxi Stand
- Al Manhal Palace
- Zayed Bin Sultan II Mosque
- The National Theatre
- Former Al Jazeera Hospital
- Sheikh Zayed Sports City
- Islamic Institute Complex (Former UAEU)
- Niqa Bin Ateej Water Tank and Park
- Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Al Ain
- Al Jahili Eid Prayer Grounds
- Al Khalidiyah Park
- Al Ain Old Central Market
- Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tower
- Al Bateen Mall
- Intercontinental Hotel – Abu Dhabi
- Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi Corniche
- Hili Old Market (Shaabi Market)
- Zayed Al Awwal Secondary School – Oud Al Hassa
- Former ADNOC Headquarters
- Al Maqta Conservation Area
- Former Vehicles & Drivers Licensing Directorate
- Bida’ Zayed Central Souq
- Arab Monetary Fund Building
- Etisalat Headquarter – Abu Dhabi
- Federal National Council
- Saeed Al Kalili (Al Ibrahimi Building)
- Heirs of Salem Khadem Al Qubaisi Building
- HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Tower (Blue Tower – Union National Bank)
- Hamed Center
- Hamdan Centre
- Obaid Al Mazrouai
- Butti Al Otaiba Building
- Harib Tower
- Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel & Resort
- Le Méridien Abu Dhabi
- Al Ghaf Tree Park
- Airport Road Park
- Armed Forces Officers Club & Conference Centre
- Al Omeirah Building (Adidas)
- Al Hobbara Water Tank (SBY Island)
- Bida’ Zayed Pool
- Liwa Rest House
- Remah Rest House complex
- Salman Khalifa Al Mazroei
- Otaiba Building
- Mesaied Khalid Al Mansoori
- The Central Bank of the UAE
- Al Ain Vegetable & Fish Market (Shibrat Al Ain)
- City Terminal (Abu Dhabi International Airport)
- Abu Dhabi City Municipality Building
- Department of Economic Development
- Department of Finance
- Abu Dhabi Media Company
- Abu Dhabi Oil Co. – Japan (ADOC)
- Al Manhal Family Medicine Clinic
- Al Zaab Old Fire Station
- Khalifa Al Suweidi Building
- Elenco Building
- Former Al Dhafra Region Municipality Building
- Madinat Zayed Vegetable, Meat & Fish Market – Abu Dhabi
- Abu Yalee Mosque
- Al Ain Old Gold Souk
- Al Nyadat Eid Musalla
- H.E. Mohammed Habroush Al Suwaidi Building
- ZADCO Building
- H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Mohamed Al Nahyan Building (La Brioche Building)
- H.H. Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Tower (Corniche Tower)
- Madinat Zayed Bus Station
- Raha Beach Rest House
- Corniche Hospital
- Al-Kuwaitat Complex – UAEU Students’ Housing
- Green Souk – Bani Yas
- Green Souk – Al Shahama
- Khalad Bin Swied Al Ansari Mosque
- Haseen Rashid Al Hajri Building
- National Consultative Council
- Former Al Ain City Center Town Clinics
- Al Ain City Municipality Campus, including Al Ain City Municipality building and the Town Planning Sector building
- Capital Park Urban Ensemble, including Capital Park and Garden Tower
- Emergencies Crises and Disasters Management Centre Abu Dhabi
- Hili Archaeological Park Garden
- Al Natlah Resthouse (Al Neyadat)
- Former Abu Dhabi International Airport (Terminal 1)
- SABIS® International School – Al Bateen; Former Delma Island Post Office
- Sir Bani Yas Eastern Water Tank
- Sir Bani Yas Southern Water Tank
- Delma Island Water Silos
- Al Dhannah City Water Towers
- The International School of Choueifat – Al Ain
- Al Jouri Kindergarten
- Emirates Post – Khalidiya Post Office
- Emirates Post – Hamdan Post Office
- Emirates Post – Al Ain Industrial Area Post Office
- Al Dhafra Sports & Culture Club
- Abu Dhabi Cedar Fountain
- Abu Dhabi Geneva Flower Clock
- Al Ain Museum
- Al Murabaa Police Museum
- Islamiya English School – Abu Dhabi
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