More than a decade in the making, the Louvre Abu Dhabi opened its doors on Wednesday (November 8th), AFP reported.
The opening comes a decade after France and the UAE agreed to a 30-year partnership initially reported to be worth $1.1 billion, including nearly half a billion dollars for the rights to the Louvre brand alone.
French President Emmanuel Macron was among those attending the opening, along with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
The museum design, by France's Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, conjures up the image of an Arab medina as seen through the eyes of a contemporary cinematographer.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first of three museums to open on Saadiyat Island, where the UAE plans to launch the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, and Norman Foster's Zayed National Museum.
Some 5% of the museum, which will open to the public on Saturday, is dedicated to contemporary and modern art.
The main focus, however, is on world history and religions.
Among the exhibits are an early Qur’an, a gothic Bible and a Yemenite Torah, facing each other and open at verses carrying the same message.
