The palace was completed in 2017.Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates) and Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces) opened the palace to the public in 2019. Prior to that, the palace was only used for official purposes, mainly to accommodate foreign leaders of states, and for meetings of the country's supreme council. Since its opening to the public, the palace has continued to be used for these purposes.

The opening ceremony was held on 11 March 2019 and was organised by Mohammed bin Zayed and Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai). In August, the travel and tourism website Hotel and Rest named the palace one of the top 20 art and cultural monuments in the world. In 2020, Qasr Al Watan Presidential Palace was nominated for the World Travel Awards as the Middle East's top cultural tourist attraction.