The 3.2 million-year-old Lucy fossil is currently on display at the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi.
The discovery of Lucy in 1974 confirmed that upright walking preceded the expansion of the human brain.
The exhibition highlights a collaborative shift in paleoanthropology, with Ethiopian authorities leading the management of their heritage.
Lucy is scheduled to return to the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa in July 2026.