Louvre Abu Dhabi. Christopher Pike / The National
Louvre Abu Dhabi. Christopher Pike / The National
Louvre Abu Dhabi. Christopher Pike / The National
Louvre Abu Dhabi. Christopher Pike / The National

Louvre Abu Dhabi: the arrival of the Arab world’s first universal museum is just the start of a cultural blossoming in the Gulf


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The world’s first “universal museum” was born in London in 1759, when the doors of the British Museum opened to the public for the first time. Seeded with artefacts donated by Sir Hans Sloane, it set out to showcase all the world’s civilisations. Visitors have been drawn to its extraordinary collections of treasures ever since.

The appreciation of different cultures has never been more important. Nowhere is that truer than in our region where terrorist groups like ISIL have done such damage in recent years. Radicalised minds start from the position that only the tiniest slither of human history is worthy of celebration. Everything else should be destroyed.

Proving them wrong is why the UAE invested in the new Louvre Abu Dhabi. It is remarkable not only for the sublime architecture of the building, which juts off the shores of Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi’s emerging cultural quarter. It is also the first universal museum in the Arab world, and one of the very few outside the West.

With its mission to gather all of human history under one roof, this new wonder of the world is a direct descendant of the British Museum. But its ground-breaking approach to displaying the works takes the concept further. Museums have traditionally arranged objects by civilisation, region or period. In Abu Dhabi, the joint Emirati and French curatorial team present the history of art as a global continuum, rather than isolated episodes of brilliance.

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Objects from all over the world are brought together so that visitors can appreciate connections across cultures and time. In one of the 12 galleries a visitor might encounter an ancient marker stone for pilgrims walking to Mecca displayed next to Christian reliquaries. European globes can be inspected next to maps made by Muslim navigators. A newly acquired Yemeni Torah can be admired next to a sixth-century Quran and a Gothic Bible. The beauty all three objects share will be obvious to any visitor.

As Emmanuel Macron, president of France, said at its inauguration, the museum is “a bridge between the continents that today some would like to divide”. In the words of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on the same evening: “We don’t just aim for a dialogue between civilisations, rather an alliance between civilisations”.

Respect for different cultures and religions is already a hallmark of Abu Dhabi, the capital of a diverse country that already has much to offer to tourists and international business people.

But the Louvre is not just for our foreign guests to enjoy. It will be equally important to our own citizens as we develop a knowledge economy less tethered to global energy markets. The museum’s outreach programme intends to bring as many people as possible from all of our seven emirates. The national syllabus has been updated to take greater account of art history and the practice of art.

The UAE can already stake a claim to being the cultural capital of the Middle East. Art Dubai now ranks among the world’s great international art fairs. Abu Dhabi Art is also developing fast. Emirati artists have been represented at the UAE pavilion at the Venice Biennale since 2009. The Louvre is just one part of the UAE’s investment in education and culture. More are on their way, including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum. The coming of the Arab world’s first universal museum is just the start of a cultural blossoming in the Gulf.

Sulaiman Almazroui is ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Court of St James’s in London

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Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

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THE BIO

BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.

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What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

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Our legal advisor

Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.

Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation. 

Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.

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Company name: Suraasa

Started: 2018

Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker

Based: India, UAE and the UK

Industry: EdTech

Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding

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Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC,  Rabacap and MSA Capital