ABU DHABI: More than a decade in the making, the Louvre Abu Dhabi opened its doors on Wednesday, drawing French President Emmanuel Macron to the Middle East on his first official visit.

Pausing to shake hands on a red carpet lining the all-white path leading to the museum, Macron and France’s First Lady walked side by side with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashed.

Macron, who is also scheduled to hold talks with UAE officials, toured the 12-gallery museum shortly after touching down in Abu Dhabi, along with the heads of state of Morocco and Afghanistan.

The new museum was a “bridge between civilisations”, he said at the opening. “Those who seek to say that Islam is the destruction of other religions are liars.”

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.

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.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2017