PARIS // Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon, chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, joined the French president, Francois Hollande at the Louvre in Paris for the opening of Birth of a Museum, the first international exhibition showcasing objects from the permanent collection of Louvre Abu Dhabi.
“Today we are celebrating an important stage in the development of Louvre Abu Dhabi,” Sheikh Sultan said.
The exhibition – in the Hall Napoleon, the largest temporary exhibition space in the museum – “marked a defining moment in the history of the museum”, he added.
Mr Hollande took the opportunity to celebrate the new museum, which he described as “our biggest contemporary cultural project and a symbol of the strong partnership between the UAE and France”.
“You could have chosen others to do this,” he said to an audience of politicians, museum experts and VIPs. “But, you chose France.
“This is due to the mutual respect we have for our cultures and our identities.”
Among the guests were Jean-Luc Martinez, the president director of the Louvre, Jean Nouvel, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect and designer of Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Aurelie Filippetti, the French minister of culture and communication.
UAE representatives included Mubarak Al Muhairi, the director general of TCA Abu Dhabi, Jasem Al Darmaki, the deputy director general and Mohammed Al Raisi, the UAE Ambassador to France.
Mr Hollande clarified the relationship between the Louvre and Louvre Abu Dhabi, a relationship that has been the subject of speculation among the French public and press.
“Louvre Abu Dhabi is not an imitation of the Louvre, because we all know the Louvre is inimitable and not transportable,” he said. “What links these museums is a universal idea of culture, and Abu Dhabi has displayed that will to be universal.”
The French president ended his speech on a light-hearted note, referring to the very different associations Louvre Abu Dhabi’s projected opening date, December 2, 2015, has in France. On December 2 1851, president Louis Napoleon Bonaparte staged a coup. Exactly a year later, he was named Napoleon III, Emperor of France.
“This will be a national holiday in Abu Dhabi but it has a very different meaning for us,” said Mr Hollande. “But, do not worry. We will be there.”
In a separate event, the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Theatre at Chateau de Fontainebleau will open today. The ceremony will be attended by Sheikh Sultan and officials from the French Ministry of Culture & Communication.
nleech@thenational.ae
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Inside%20Out%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKelsey%20Mann%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Amy%20Poehler%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%2C%20Ayo%20Edebiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Kalra's feat
- Becomes fifth batsman to score century in U19 final
- Becomes second Indian to score century in U19 final after Unmukt Chand in 2012
- Scored 122 in youth Test on tour of England
- Bought by Delhi Daredevils for base price of two million Indian rupees (Dh115,000) in 2018 IPL auction
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
