The long-awaited Guggenheim museum in Abu Dhabi by architect Frank Gehry is set to open in 2025, nearly 20 years after plans were unveiled and 14 years after construction began.

Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is currently being constructed on Saadiyat Island – a cultural district under development off the coast of the UAE capital.

At 42,000-square-metres, the museum will become the largest of the four Guggenheim outposts, overtaking Guggenheim Bilbao that Gehry also designed.

"It is truly thrilling to see this project enter into this new phase," Gehry said.

"I hope that this building is embraced by the people of the UAE and that this work will endure as a landmark for the country for many years to come."