Now, a decade in the making, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will finally open its doors to the public on November 11, 2017, 5 years after the scheduled term. Located on the city’s Saadiyat Island, the world’s second Louvre Museum aims to promote the oil-rich United Arab Emirates as a leader in the global art world. It’s comprised of a whopping 55 buildings, 23 of which are dedicated gallery spaces connected by footbridges over the ocean below.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
The idea is that visitors will feel as though they’re perusing an ancient Arabian medina as they move between exhibits. The whole thing is covered by a colossal dome that stretches around 180m in diameter and will be connected to the Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi via an underground tunnel.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Housing 600 works of art, including 300 loaned by 13 French museums for the inaugural year, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is described as the “first universal museum” in the Arab world.
Among the works on loan to Abu Dhabi are Leonardo da Vinci’s La Belle Ferronniere from the Louvre – which houses the world’s largest collection of art – and Vincent van Gogh’s self-portrait from the Musee d’Orsay.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Certainly, there will be something for everyone – and that’s the idea, as the museum plans to host an inaugural exhibition entitled From One Louvre to Another: Opening a Museum for Everyone.
Regular admission for adults costs $20 (60AED) for adults and $10 (30AED) for students aged 14 to 22 years.
Louvre Abu Dhabi
