About 45 km south of Abu Dhabi, a sand-coloured pyramid stands beside the road to Liwa. Inside is the Emirates National Auto Museum, the private collection of Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan — nicknamed the “Rainbow Sheikh” for a set of Mercedes S-Class saloons he had painted in the seven colours of the rainbow, one for each day of the week.
Roughly two hundred vehicles are on show, ranging from classic American cars and military off-roaders to deliberate absurdities: a Mercedes mounted on monster-truck wheels, enormously scaled-up replicas of a Willys Jeep and a Dodge Power Wagon, and a globe-shaped caravan parked outside.
What to see and do: Emirates National Auto Museum
Find the rainbow Mercedes
The colour-coded saloons that gave the sheikh his nickname are the collection’s signature.
Walk around the giants
The oversized vehicles outside are the most photographed exhibits — a pickup many times life size and the globe caravan among them.
Browse the off-roaders
A large part of the collection is devoted to 4x4s, a fitting stop on a desert trip.
How to get there: Emirates National Auto Museum
- By car: around 45 minutes from the city on the Hameem road, the same road used for Qasr Al Sarab and one of the routes to Liwa.
- There is no public transport, and taxis back are hard to find — keep your driver.
Insider tips
- Opening days and hours have been irregular. Phone ahead or check a recent source before making a special trip.
- An hour is enough for most visitors.
- It works best as a break on the way to Liwa or Qasr Al Sarab.
Tours & tickets that fit: Emirates National Auto Museum
These well-rated experiences pair best with Emirates National Auto Museum:
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