UAE Inaugurates ‘Qasr Al Watan’ at Presidential Palace

Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) walks with Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, at the presidential palace in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on July 20, 2018. AFP
Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) walks with Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, at the presidential palace in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on July 20, 2018. AFP
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UAE Inaugurates ‘Qasr Al Watan’ at Presidential Palace

Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) walks with Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, at the presidential palace in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on July 20, 2018. AFP
Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) walks with Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, at the presidential palace in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on July 20, 2018. AFP

The UAE has inaugurated "Qasr Al Watan" within the Presidential Palace compound in Abu Dhabi. The new landmark is aimed at highlighting the humanitarian and cultural role of the country.

The inauguration ceremony was led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid stressed that the United Arab Emirates' cultural legacy is a precious asset that must be treasured by both present and future generations, and a power source that is driving the leadership's aspirations.

He also said the opening of "Qasr Al Watan" reflects the leadership's dedication to offer the community the opportunity to learn about the important aspects of this heritage in all its humanitarian and creative values that should be revived and maintained for the coming generations.

For his part, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed reaffirmed the leadership's dedication to preserving the nation's cultural and intellectual legacy by instilling a deep sense of national pride that has strengthened the loyalty and belonging of successive generations, and represented a source of inspiration and motivation for further efforts towards the country's aspiration and development.

"Qasr Al Watan" includes several wings, including the "Diplomatic Gifts Pavilion", which, for the first time, publicly displays the special gifts introduced to the UAE, to highlight the friendly relations it has with many countries around the world.

It also features the "Cooperation Spirit Hall", an open theater dedicated to hosting meetings, official summits, and regular sessions of the Federal Supreme Council; and "Al Barza Majlis" inspired by the historical heritage of the UAE. It hosts the social gatherings and discussions of the country's overall issues.

The Palace also houses the "Qasr Al Watan" Library featuring over 50,000 books and resources about the UAE, along with the "Knowledge House" including many exhibits and rare artifacts highlighting the golden era of the Arabic civilization and its contributions in the different fields such as art, literature and science.



Biggest Piece of Mars on Earth is Going Up for Auction in New York

A Martian meteorite, weighing 54.388 lbs. (24.67 kg), said to be the largest piece of Mars on Earth, estimated at $2 - 4 million, is displayed at Sotheby's, in New York, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, part of their Geek Week auction, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
A Martian meteorite, weighing 54.388 lbs. (24.67 kg), said to be the largest piece of Mars on Earth, estimated at $2 - 4 million, is displayed at Sotheby's, in New York, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, part of their Geek Week auction, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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Biggest Piece of Mars on Earth is Going Up for Auction in New York

A Martian meteorite, weighing 54.388 lbs. (24.67 kg), said to be the largest piece of Mars on Earth, estimated at $2 - 4 million, is displayed at Sotheby's, in New York, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, part of their Geek Week auction, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
A Martian meteorite, weighing 54.388 lbs. (24.67 kg), said to be the largest piece of Mars on Earth, estimated at $2 - 4 million, is displayed at Sotheby's, in New York, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, part of their Geek Week auction, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

For sale: A 54-pound (25-kilogram) rock. Estimated auction price: $2 million to $4 million. Why so expensive? It's the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth.

Sotheby's in New York will be auctioning what's known as NWA 16788 on Wednesday as part of a natural history-themed sale that also includes a juvenile Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton that's more than 6 feet (2 meters) tall and nearly 11 feet (3 meters) long, The Associated Press reported.

According to the auction house, the meteorite is believed to have been blown off the surface of Mars by a massive asteroid strike before traveling 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) to Earth, where it crashed into the Sahara. A meteorite hunter found it in Niger in November 2023, Sotheby's says.

The red, brown and gray hunk is about 70% larger than the next largest piece of Mars found on Earth and represents nearly 7% of all the Martian material currently on this planet, Sotheby's says. It measures nearly 15 inches by 11 inches by 6 inches (375 millimeters by 279 millimeters by 152 millimeters).

"This Martian meteorite is the largest piece of Mars we have ever found by a long shot," Cassandra Hatton, vice chairman for science and natural history at Sotheby's, said in an interview. "So it´s more than double the size of what we previously thought was the largest piece of Mars."

It is also a rare find. There are only 400 Martian meteorites out of the more than 77,000 officially recognized meteorites found on Earth, Sotheby's says.

Hatton said a small piece of the red planet remnant was removed and sent to a specialized lab that confirmed it is from Mars. It was compared with the distinct chemical composition of Martian meteorites discovered during the Viking space probe that landed on Mars in 1976, she said.

The examination found that it is an "olivine-microgabbroic shergottite," a type of Martian rock formed from the slow cooling of Martian magma. It has a course-grained texture and contains the minerals pyroxene and olivine, Sotheby's says.

It also has a glassy surface, likely due to the high heat that burned it when it fell through Earth's atmosphere, Hatton said. "So that was their first clue that this wasn't just some big rock on the ground," she said.

The meteorite previously was on exhibit at the Italian Space Agency in Rome. Sotheby's did not disclose the owner.

It's not clear exactly when the meteorite hit Earth, but testing shows it probably happened in recent years, Sotheby's said.

The juvenile Ceratosaurus nasicornis skeleton was found in 1996 near Laramie, Wyoming, at Bone Cabin Quarry, a gold mine for dinosaur bones. Specialists assembled nearly 140 fossil bones with some sculpted materials to recreate the skeleton and mounted it so it's ready to exhibit, Sotheby's says.

The skeleton is believed to be from the late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago, Sotheby's says. It's auction estimate is $4 million to $6 million.

Ceratosaurus dinosaurs were bipeds with short arms that appear similar to the Tyrannosaurus rex, but smaller. Ceratosaurus dinosaurs could grow up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) long, while the Tyrannosaurs rex could be 40 feet (12 meters) long.

The skeleton was acquired last year by Fossilogic, a Utah-based fossil preparation and mounting company.

Wednesday's auction is part of Sotheby's Geek Week 2025 and features 122 items, including other meteorites, fossils and gem-quality minerals.