The world was waiting for a decade, but at the end of 2017, Louvre Abu Dhabi finally opened. And, yes, it was worth the wait.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is the crown jewel in the capital city’s burgeoning Cultural District in Saadiyat Island, which in two years has cemented itself as a leading player on the world art scene.
The architectural marvel – which is the result of a partnership between the governments of Abu Dhabi and France – is home to more than 600 artworks, half of which are loaned by 13 of France’s biggest cultural institutions and half belong to the museum itself.
The art on display includes classics from masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Henri Matisse and Édouard Manet as well as more modern greats including Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol. Besides the permanent collection there are also regular visiting exhibitions, themed live performances, immersive spaces and workshops. There’s a brilliant kids’ museum, too.
In short, it caters for everyone, whether you class yourself as an art expert or not.
It is also the first museum in the Middle East to group art by when it was created, rather than by nation or style, so you’ll experience art from all over the world from pre-historic times until now.
Nobody is priced out of the experience either, with admission set at Dh60 for adults and just Dhs30 for those aged between 13 and 22 and UAE educational professionals. Even if you only have time to do a handful of things in Abu Dhabi, make this one of them.
From Dhs30. Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, www.louvreabudhabi.ae (600 565 566).
