Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has invited companies to bid by 8 January for the contract to build the Union Museum at Dubai’s Union House where the document forming the UAE federation was signed.

The RTA approved the final design and main components of the Union Museum in March. The design of the museum, which was awarded to the UK’s Halcrow, which is now part of US-based CH2M Hill, was inspired by portraits of the UAE’s rulers signing the constitution of the UAE on 2 December 1971.

The pen and document containing the provisions of the constitution have been used as key elements in the museum.

The museum comprises eight sections:

• Section 1 comprises an educational museum
• Section 2 spotlights the story of the neighbourhood during the pre-union era, along with the life patterns of populace in various environments
• Section 3 highlights the roadmap leading to the formation of the union, together with the key local, regional and international events in that period
• Section 4 focuses on the blueprints of the union
• Section 5 presents information about the key factors prompting the founders to form the federation
• Section 6 narrates the details of establishing the federation state
• Section 7 is devoted to the Constitution of the UAE, and
• Section 8 highlights the achievements made since the formation of the union

The project is one of several cultural projects being developed by the RTA. In April, it signed an AED184m ($50m) deal with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority to transform six of the emirate’s metro stations into art museums.

A second agreement signed between the two government bodies is for a project to decorate bridges and underpasses in Dubai.