Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company has buried a time capsule in the foundations of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), to commemorate the latest stage of construction on the Phase 2 development of the building.

Called ‘a moment in time’, the capsule included a book on Sheikh Zayed, the late president of the UAE; two newspapers published on the day of the concrete pour; a pack of information about Abu Dhabi; an Adnec brochure; an Abu Dhabi baseball cap; a bag of Arabic incense; a child’s drawing of Abu Dhabi in 2007; and a letter from Adnec to be read by whoever opens the time capsule in the future.
“By burying this time capsule we will be preserving a piece of the history of the UAE, from the exact moment in time that we began to pour concrete on the Phase 2 development of Adnec,” says Adnec CEO Simon Horgan.
“When this simple box is exhumed, it will give a unique insight into everyday life in Abu Dhabi in 2007 – a time when Adnec and the entire emirate of Abu Dhabi are at the beginning of something very special.”
Phase 2 of Adnec will see the venue double in size to become the Middle East’s largest purpose-built exhibition centre with inter-connected exhibition floor space totalling more than 55,000 sq m. The exhibition centre’s distinctive U-shape design will be achieved by constructing 5 additional exhibition halls, a multi-purpose hall with seating for more than 5,000 people, 15 meeting rooms and two multi-storey car parks with space for more than 8,000 vehicles. The project is scheduled for completion in autumn 2008.