Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi is set to become the home of the world's largest Guggenheim museum.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed yesterday between Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) and the New York-based Guggenheim Foundation to establish a world-class museum devoted to modern and contemporary art.
The museum, to be called the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (GAD), will be built in the Cultural District of Saadiyat Island and will cover 30,000 square metres. It is expected to be completed in five years.
The museum is to be designed by the internationally-acclaimed architect Frank Gehry.
Collection of works
GAD will be the only Guggenheim museum in the region and will be larger than any existing Guggenheim worldwide, said Thomas Kerns, Director of the Guggenheim Foundation.
"It will be 20 per cent bigger than our existing 25,000-square metre Bilbao museum," he said.
According to the MoU, TDIC, which manages the authority's tourism assets, will own the museum.
The Guggenheim Foundation will establish and manage the museum's programme, which will include collection development, exhibitions and educational initiatives.
The museum will form its own major collection of contemporary art and will also exhibit masterworks from the Guggenheim Foundation's global collections.
"Today's signing represents the determination of the Abu Dhabi Government to create a world-class cultural destination for its residents and visitors," said General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, at the ceremony.
"This is a major step forward in our plans for Saadiyat Island and its Cultural District which will become an international cultural hub for the Middle East on par with the best in the world."
The MoU was signed on behalf of Abu Dhabi by Shaikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), TDIC, and Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage Authority, and Thomas Kerns.
"Abu Dhabi's museum will join exclusive Guggenheim museum network which currently includes New York, Venice in Italy, Bilbao in Spain, Berlin in Germany and Las Vegas," Shaikh Sultan said.
