Augmented Reality Experiences At Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi Powered By Snap

Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, described as the largest of its kind in the Middle East, is working with Snap Inc. to embed permanent augmented reality experiences across the museum. The project turns scientific content into interactive layers, allowing visitors to see natural history and the universe unfold around them in real time.

The initiative uses Snapchat’s AR technology to animate more than 13.8 billion years of scientific discovery. Museum guests access mobile AR through smartphones and Snap’s next-generation Spectacles. Experiences encourage active exploration rather than passive viewing, helping visitors connect directly with complex subjects from deep space to prehistoric Earth.

Both partners frame the collaboration as a regional reference point for museum-based AR. The permanent installations are designed to support learning, accessibility and engagement for broad audiences, including younger visitors. They also show how cultural institutions can integrate digital tools while keeping scientific accuracy central to every display.

One of the main experiences uses world-transformation technology to reshape the museum’s iconic atrium into a detailed Jurassic scene. Visitors walk among life-sized digital models of Camarasaurus, Barosaurus and Tylosaurus. Prehistoric plants, shifting light and layered storytelling content appear together, and multiple users can explore the same digital environment at once.

A permanent QR code inside the museum provides instant access to these scenes through Snapchat’s camera. Another major experience focuses on a full-scale Blue Whale rendered with photorealistic detail. An X-ray mode reveals the whale’s internal organs, including heart and lungs, and highlights deep-sea adaptations, turning scientific data into clear visual explanations.

Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi augmented reality technology and partners

Visitors using Snap’s next-generation Spectacles can join guided demonstrations that place exclusive AR elements within the physical space. A full-scale Brachiosaurus appears aligned with the gallery architecture, giving a hands-free view of the dinosaur at human scale. The approach blends the museum’s real environment with layered digital reconstructions.

Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi Director Dr. Peter C. Kjærgaard said the collaboration introduces new forms of storytelling that combine engagement and education. Dr. Kjærgaard explained that advanced AR, paired with scientific research, helps visitors grasp the universe and Earth’s past in more intuitive ways, supporting the museum’s mission to inspire curiosity and discovery.

Antoine Challita, UAE Country Head for Snap Inc., said the partnership pushes the boundaries of augmented reality by bringing billions of years of history to life, creating an immersive journey that allows visitors not only to observe history but to step directly into it. The long-term AR experiences show how technology can support museum learning and offer visitors in Abu Dhabi fresh ways to engage with natural history.

With inputs from WAM