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‘Most Beautiful Building on Earth’ Opens in Dubai

View of Dubai's Museum of the Future - Karim SAHIB AFP
View of Dubai's Museum of the Future - Karim SAHIB AFP
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‘Most Beautiful Building on Earth’ Opens in Dubai

View of Dubai's Museum of the Future - Karim SAHIB AFP
View of Dubai's Museum of the Future - Karim SAHIB AFP

Dubai opened its Museum of the Future on Tuesday, a spectacular structure it is touting as the world's most beautiful building.

The museum, a seven-storey hollow silver ellipse decorated with Arabic calligraphy of quotes from Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, and thousands of metres (yards) of LED lights, takes pride of place on Sheikh Zayed Road, the city's main highway.

While its contents are yet to be revealed, it will exhibit design and technology innovations, taking the visitor on a "journey to the year 2071", organizers said, AFP reported.

Roadside signboards described the museum -- just minutes away from the world's tallest construction, the Burj Khalifa -- as the "most beautiful building on Earth" ahead of its gala opening.

It is the latest addition to the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) collection of flashy architecture and comes after the $7-billion Expo world fair, featuring a swathe of futuristic designs, opened on Dubai's outskirts on 30 September.

The UAE's capital Abu Dhabi is home to a branch of the Louvre, whose license was extended by a decade last year to 2047 at a cost of 165 million euros ($186 million).

Since French President Emmanuel Macron opened the Louvre Abu Dhabi in late 2017, it attracted some two million visitors in its first two years, before Covid hit.

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Varieties

Japan’s Chief Meteorologist Calls Rumors of a July Earthquake a Hoax, Urges People Not to Worry

People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
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Japan’s Chief Meteorologist Calls Rumors of a July Earthquake a Hoax, Urges People Not to Worry

People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)

The head of Japan's meteorological agency on Friday dismissed widespread rumors of a major earthquake in Japan this summer as unscientific and a “hoax," urging people not to worry because even the most advanced science still cannot predict any quake or tsunami.

“At the moment, it is still impossible to predict an earthquake with specific timing, location or its magnitude,” Japan Meteorological Agency Director General Ryoichi Nomura told reporters. “Any such prediction is a hoax, and there is absolutely no need to worry about such disinformation."

Nomura was referring to rumors in Hong Kong and other Asian cities of a major earthquake or a tsunami in July in Japan have led to flight cancellations and reductions in service, affecting tourism.

He said it was “unfortunate” that many people are affected by the disinformation, though he sympathized with the sense of unease that the people tend to develop toward something invisible.

The rumor originates from a 2022 Japanese comic book “The future I saw,” which features a dream foreseeing a tsunami and is also available in Chinese. The chatter began spreading earlier this year through social media, mainly in Hong Kong.

The author previously gained attention for allegedly predicting the 2011 quake and tsunami in northern Japan, which killed more than 18,000 people.

Japan, which sits on the Pacific “ring of fire,” is one of the world's most quake-prone countries.

Last summer, a panel of seismologists noted a slight increase in the probability of a megaquake on Japan’s Pacific coasts. The government organized an awareness-raising week but only triggered panic buying, beach closures and other overreactions and complaints.

While it is important to inform people about the science, Nomura said, it is also necessary for everyone in this quake-prone country to take early precautions.

“In Japan, an earthquake can occur anytime, anywhere,” Nomura said. “So I ask everyone to take this opportunity to ensure your preparedness for a major quake.”