The grand opening of The Founder’s Memorial in Abu Dhabi required a bespoke temporary venue capable of receiving VVIP male and female guests while reflecting the legacy of Sheikh Zayed.

Evolution worked with the client and nearly 20 stakeholders to create the Sheikhat Majlis and associated guest environments. The strategic design decision was to draw from the Memorial’s cultural meaning rather than impose an unrelated event aesthetic.

Mashrabiya-inspired pattern, never-before-seen photography and controlled light connected the exterior approach with the interior majlis, giving the temporary structures a sense of permanence, dignity and place.

The Challenge

The launch required two substantial temporary venues fitted to an exceptionally high standard. They needed to accommodate separate VVIP guest requirements, preserve accessibility and withstand challenging weather conditions without appearing temporary or utilitarian.

The physical scale was significant: large structural spans, 10-metre-high branded walls and a 50-metre sloping arrival ramp all had to be resolved alongside cultural sensitivity, guest comfort and a coordinated design process involving nearly 20 stakeholders.

The Solution

Evolution installed two marquee structures, each screened by a 10-metre-high branded scaffolding wall. A custom wooden, backlit linear mashrabiya system carried across these walls and into the grand entrance, giving guests an early visual introduction to the interior language.

The principal structure used Electra’s 40-metre by 25-metre by 8-metre I-Novation aluminium  structure, providing approximately 1,000 square metres of covered floor area.

A 50-metre custom-built sloping ramp created an accessible and ceremonial arrival. Inside the majlis, freestanding CNC panels measuring 5.3 by 3.2 metres combined intricate pattern with custom white finishes and large-scale, previously unseen photographs of Sheikh Zayed.

The panels operated as generous room dividers rather than solid walls. Custom lighting cast dappled shadows across the patterns, adding depth to the white environment and drawing attention to the imagery and custom-built furniture without compromising the calm tone of the space.

Delivery Highlights

• Two premium temporary marquee structures for VVIP guest environments.
• Ten-metre-high branded walls with custom backlit mashrabiya panelling.
• Forty-metre by 25-metre I-Novation structure providing approximately 1,000 square metres of covered space.
• Fifty-metre custom sloping ramp supporting accessible ceremonial arrival.
• Freestanding 5.3-metre by 3.2-metre CNC patterned panels.
• Large-format, previously unseen photographs of Sheikh Zayed.
• Custom lighting and white furniture integrated into the majlis design.
• Collaborative design and delivery involving nearly 20 stakeholders.

Outcome

The completed venue felt culturally connected to the Memorial rather than temporarily placed beside it. Pattern, photography and light gave the VVIP environments a restrained ceremonial identity centred on Sheikh Zayed’s legacy.

The project also resolved scale and accessibility without sacrificing finish, creating an arrival and majlis experience that felt composed, dignified and appropriate to a national landmark.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Crown Prince Court

Evolution Events: Led stakeholder coordination, VVIP guest planning, venue strategy, project management and live-event delivery.

Evolution Scenic: Designed and produced the temporary venue fit-outs, branded walls, mashrabiya panelling, CNC dividers, entrance treatment and custom ramp.

Evolution Technical: Delivered the integrated architectural and feature lighting supporting the backlit exterior and patterned interior environment.

Evolution Furniture: Provided the custom white furniture developed for the Sheikhat Majlis interior.

In May 2025, Abu Dhabi hosted the official state visit of U.S. President Donald Trump, marking a significant diplomatic occasion within the broader programme of engagements between the United States and the United Arab Emirates. The visit included ceremonial welcomes, cultural performances and official receptions across some of the country's most recognisable venues, including Zayed Airport and Qasr Al Watan.

Appointed directly by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and National Projects Office, Evolution Events was entrusted with the operational delivery of the ceremonial programme, managing performer operations, venue readiness, temporary infrastructure, animal coordination and live event execution across all three locations.

Supporting an event of this significance required more than flawless logistics. It required the ability to coordinate thousands of moving parts across multiple venues while maintaining the dignity, precision and cultural authenticity expected of a state visit receiving global attention.

The Challenge

State visits operate within an environment where security, protocol and timing are non-negotiable. Every movement, performance and operational activity must align precisely with presidential schedules, security requirements and ceremonial objectives.

With approximately three weeks of preparation, the project required the mobilisation of large-scale temporary infrastructure while coordinating more than 1,000 performers, extensive cultural programming and significant ceremonial animal participation across multiple active venues.

The greatest challenge was not the scale of the programme, but maintaining operational flexibility within an environment where presidential movements, protocol requirements and security considerations could change with little notice.

With thousands of performers, ceremonial participants, support staff and animals operating across three venues, schedules, transport movements, accreditation plans and holding areas frequently required adjustment while ensuring every participant remained safe, comfortable and ready to perform at the required moment.

Delays to official movements could not simply result in performers waiting on buses or animals remaining in holding areas for extended periods. Welfare, comfort and readiness had to be balanced against the need to remain fully prepared for evolving timelines. This required constant communication between venue teams, performer coordinators, transport providers, security stakeholders and government-appointed horse and camel teams to ensure the programme remained both flexible and operationally resilient.

In addition, all staff, performers and operational personnel required detailed accreditation and access management processes in collaboration with presidential security teams, creating a highly controlled operating environment where precision and reliability were critical.

The Solution

A dedicated operational structure was established to coordinate every aspect of delivery across the three venues. Working closely with protocol representatives, security stakeholders and government-appointed horse and camel teams, Evolution Events developed an integrated programme that balanced ceremonial presentation with operational control.

At Emirates Palace, a large-scale backstage compound was created to support more than 800 performers and 250 animals. The facility functioned as a temporary operational hub, incorporating performer holding areas, welfare facilities, catering coordination, accreditation management and dedicated zones for horses and camels.

At Zayed Airport, the team delivered the arrival ceremony and traditional Emirati welcome performance, carefully coordinated to align with the presidential arrival sequence and official welcoming protocol.

At Qasr Al Watan, large-scale cultural performances involving more than 1,000 performers were coordinated alongside a ceremonial procession featuring 125 horses and 125 camels, creating a powerful expression of Emirati heritage and hospitality.

Throughout the programme, operational teams remained prepared to adapt in real time, continually adjusting participant movements, transport schedules, holding areas and venue readiness plans to accommodate evolving timelines while maintaining a seamless guest and participant experience.

Delivery Highlights

Rather than functioning as separate events, the three venues were managed as a single integrated operation, with performer movements, infrastructure, accreditation, security requirements and ceremonial sequences coordinated through a central delivery structure.

The project brought together expertise from across the Evolution group, including site infrastructure, technical production, furniture and operational support services, allowing multiple disciplines to operate within a unified delivery framework.

Particular focus was placed on performer operations and animal movement management. Working alongside government-appointed horse and camel teams, dedicated holding areas, offloading facilities, movement routes and operational procedures were established to ensure the safe and efficient coordination of ceremonial processions while maintaining strict adherence to security and protocol requirements.

Temporary infrastructure included performer compounds, welfare facilities, power distribution, fencing systems, transport coordination, operational support areas and venue readiness measures required to support large-scale ceremonial activity across all three locations.

Behind the public-facing spectacle, thousands of participants, support staff and operational personnel were coordinated through detailed planning, communication systems and real-time decision-making designed to keep the programme responsive without compromising quality, safety or participant wellbeing.

Outcome

The state visit was delivered successfully across all three venues, with cultural performances, ceremonial processions and official hospitality programmes executed seamlessly within an exceptionally demanding operational environment.

Success was measured not only by the flawless execution of the public-facing ceremonies, but by the ability of the delivery team to absorb continual schedule adjustments without impacting the participant experience. Despite evolving timings and operational changes throughout the visit, performers, support teams and ceremonial participants remained fully supported, informed and prepared, allowing each venue to transition seamlessly into live operation whenever required.

Perhaps the greatest measure of success was the level of trust placed in the delivery team. While government stakeholders managed the wider diplomatic programme and protocol requirements, Evolution Events operated the ceremonial environments with a high degree of autonomy, providing confidence that complex logistical and operational challenges would be resolved professionally, calmly and without disruption.

The result was a dignified and memorable welcome that reflected the significance of the occasion while demonstrating the capability required to deliver large-scale government events at the highest level.

Project Ecosystem

Client:

Ministry of Presidential Affairs + National Projects Office

Event Delivery:

Evolution Events

Site Infrastructure:

Evolution Site Services

Technical Production:

Evolution Technical

Additional Project Support:

Evolution Furniture