Abu Dhabi: The French National Assembly has approved the building of the Louvre Abu Dhabi under a 30-year cultural agreement between the UAE and France.
The 24,000-square-metre branch of the famous Paris museum, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, is expected to open in 2012 as part of Saadiyat Island's Cultural District project, according to WAM.
Under the agreement, France will make expertise and artworks available from its most prestigious museum. The items, drawn from all époques will be on loan for a maximum of 18 months.
Cultural cooperation
"The project is a unique example of international cultural cooperation. It reflects France's capabilities of implementing huge cultural schemes, as well as the UAE's keenness to open to other cultures, especially the French heritage," said Christine Albanel, Minister of Culture and Communication.
Jean-Marie Bockel, French Secretary of State for Foreign Cooperation and Francophone Affairs, described the partnership as "a boost to France's cultural policies and to the world's inter-cultural communication."
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is a cultural milestone not only for the UAE but also for the entire Arab world, said Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the Tourism Development and Investment Company.
"It will make the cultural district at the Saadiyat Island one of the world's top cultural and tourist destinations and a beacon for cultural experience and exchange."
Earlier this year, the governments of Abu Dhabi and France reached an unprecedented accord to create the Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island, which lies 500 metres off Abu Dhabi.
Design phase
A 10-member delegation of French ministry officials and representatives from museums and five top cultural institutions recently visited Abu Dhabi over the management strategy planned for the Louvre Abu Dhabi, said Lee Tabler, CEO of the Tourism Development and Investment Company.
"The project will soon enter its design and engineering phase with the imminent appointment of an engineering consultant to work in collaboration with Jean Nouvel," Tabler said.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi will be housed in a futuristic building designed by star architect Jean Nouvel, who also designed the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris.
