In 2004, Abbas was elected to succeed Arafat, but his Fatah group lost the 2006 parliamentary elections to Hamas. A year later, Hamas seized control of Gaza, ousting Fatah from the territory. In response, Abbas established his own government in the West Bank.
On Wednesday, Palestinians marked the fourth anniversary of the iconic leader's death.
"The Palestinian leadership will continue to follow Yasser Arafat's path until a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is established," the Ynet news portal quoted Abbas at saying at a ceremony to mark the anniversary.
Arafat died in a French military hospital on November 11, 2004, and was buried on the grounds of his West Bank headquarters, where the museum complex, comprising a mausoleum, Arafat's office and an exhibition of personal belongings, is to be established.
The museum will feature the leader's uniforms, personal weapons, photos, presents from foreign leaders and personal documents, the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported. Arafat's collection of keffiyeh, a traditional male Arab headdress, which became a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, will also be put on display.
Arafat's mausoleum, unveiled last year, is made of glass and beige Jerusalem stone and measures 11 meters by 11 meters. It is surrounded on three sides by water, symbolizing the temporary nature of the grave, as Palestinians hope to rebury their leader in Jerusalem when it becomes their capital.
Arafat's will requested that his remains should be reburied in Jerusalem, and the 30-meter tower of the mosque standing next to the mausoleum is topped by a laser light that points to the holy city.
