The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi is open to the public for the first time in its history, with interactive cultural exhibitions and a full tour of its vast library.

The move was decided upon by President Sheikh Khalifa in a bid to boost the wider cultural understanding of the UAE, with a building in the palace compound, called Qasr Al Watan – Palace of the Nation – opening for visitor tours.

Open daily from 10am-8pm local time, the visitors will be able to see and browse a huge collection of books and resources about the UAE’s political, social and cultural history.

In the west wing, guests can learn about how the country formed, its governance and access to halls typically reserved for official summits.

Meanwhile, the House of Knowledge in the east wing will display a collection of artefacts and rare manuscripts that highlight the Arab world’s contributions to various intellectual fields including science, the arts, humanities and literature.

Every evening, a light and sound show will be projected onto Qasr Al Watan’s facade telling a story in three acts that draws a link between the aspirations of Qasr Al Watan and the vision of the nation.

Abu Dhabi is currently making a bid to attract more worldwide tourists. It welcomed more than 10.27 million visitors in 2018, while Louvre Abu Dhabi attracted a million people in the year since it opened on 11 November 2017.

"Mohammed bin Zayed and I inaugurated Qasr Al Watan – Palace of the Nation – in the Presidential Palace compound in Abu Dhabi," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

"The new cultural landmark reflects our heritage and identity, opening its doors to our people, residents and visitors."