UAE Presidential Palace, Presidential palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Qasr Al Watan is a government building in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, clad in white granite and limestone. The central dome of gilded metal rises above a chandelier holding more than 350,000 crystal pieces in the main hall.
Construction of Qasr Al Watan was completed in 2017. Until 2019 it served only official purposes, mainly hosting foreign heads of state and meetings of the Federal Supreme Council and the cabinet. On 11 March 2019 Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum opened it to the public, and it still hosts official functions.
The House of Knowledge in the east wing displays cases filled with state gifts from around the world alongside handwritten Quran manuscripts and traditional silver jewelry. The exhibition rooms connect ceremonial objects with everyday items from Emirati history.
The palace stands at the water's edge in Abu Dhabi, with the Great Hall under the 37 m dome between the east and west wings. The House of Knowledge and its library of more than 50,000 books occupy the eastern wing, while the Spirit of Collaboration room is in the western wing. Gardens outside the building host a sound-and-light show viewed from the exterior.
The Spirit of Collaboration room inside hosts cabinet meetings with a circular table arrangement where every seat sits equally distant from the center point. This room was deliberately designed so that no hierarchical seating arrangement emerges.
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