São Paulo – Louvre Abu Dhabi (pictured), in the United Arab Emirates, turned one year old on November 11. It said on its website that it has seen over a million visitors.
Forty percent of visitors at the venue were Emirati. The venue cost USD 1.3 billion to build, and construction was carried out in tandem with the French government. The remaining 60% of museumgoers were from France, Germany, China, Britain, India and the Gulf countries.
Emirati nationals aside, most of the visitors were from India – Indians also make up the biggest expatriate population in the UAE.
“Louvre Abu Dhabi’s vision is to celebrate cross-cultural connections that transcend geographies and civilizations, to see humanity in a new light. The diversity of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s audiences not only reflects Abu Dhabi’s multicultural society, but also illustrates how its ambition and universal narrative, which aim to create bridges between cultures and nurture dialogue between communities, appeal to many, from seasoned art enthusiasts to younger audiences and families,” Department of Culture & Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) chairman Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak was quoted as saying in a press release.
In its first year of existence, the museum saw over 1,000 school excursions and 5,000 guided tours, workshops and masterclasses. It also hosted 115 special events, including Bait Al Oud folk music performances, lectures, film screenings and concerts featuring 400 from 22 countries, including a major show by British pop singer Dua Lipa to mark its first anniversary on November 11. The museum also fueled the economy and created jobs in the emirate. About 47% of employees at the venue are Emirati nationals.
“From the beginning, this project has embodied Abu Dhabi’s bold vision and we have endeavoured to offer experiences that celebrate human creativity in our galleries and programmes. Not only are we privileged to gather such treasures under our iconic dome on Saadiyat island, but we are also thrilled that so many visitors came to discover our universal narrative this year,” Louvre Abu Dhabi director Manuel Rabaté said.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
