Use our interactive slider and scroll through the photo gallery to explore how the world-class museum helped transform Saadiyat Island into a hub for culture and art
Today, life in the Emirates moves in the fast lane. In a regular series to mark the 50th anniversary of the UAE, we take a trip back in time to see how much the country has changed.
Saadiyat Island – which translates as the “island of happiness” – has a history almost as old as Abu Dhabi.
Archaeologists have found the remains of old fishing communities and in the 1970s it was the base of the Sea Pearl, a huge hoverbarge used to carry prefabricated sections of a liquid gas plant to Das Island.
Boxing legend, Muhammad Ali, inspects hydroponically grown cucumbers on Saadiyat Island during a visit to Abu Dhabi in March 1974. Photo: Ali Kaddas Al Rumaithi
Today the island is the heart of the city's Cultural District, announced in 2007 with a proposal to build three world-class museums – a branch of the Guggenheim, the Zayed National Museum and Louvre Abu Dhabi.
The global financial crisis a year later led to the suspension of construction projects worldwide – the Louvre Abu Dhabi among them – but work restarted on the site in 2013.
The older photograph here was taken in July 2014. It shows the structure of Jean Nouvel’s dome almost complete, but before it was covered with a final layer of interlocking aluminium stars.
Still to be completed at that time were the tidal pools that now surround the museum. You can also see the two massive mobile cranes used to lift roof elements into place and, to the right, part of the base of a “pyramid” used to test the construction materials against the rigours of Gulf summers.
Also just visible on the right are a series of concrete towers that are actually nearly a kilometre away in the port, but foreshortened by the photographer’s lens.
The museum was completed in 2017, and opened on November 8 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai; Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Emmanuel Macron, President of France.
Today, Louvre Abu Dhabi is one of the UAE’s top attractions and, with a design life measured in centuries, is likely to stay that way for some time to come.
Aerial view of the Louvre Abu Dhabi construction site on Saadiyat Island in October 2013. Silvia Razgova / The National
A section of the Louvre Abu Dhabi construction site seen from above in October 2013. Silvia Razgova / The National
Construction continues into the evening at Louvre Abu Dhabi in May 2013. Silvia Razgova / The National
Men work on Louvre Abu Dhabi's dome in January 2015. Silvia Razgova / The National
Diver Neerag Kumar, 27, works on installing marine piles around Louvre Abu Dhabi in March 2015. Silvia Razgova / The National
Inside Louvre Abu Dhabi's dome in May 2015. Silvia Razgova / The National
The skeleton of the Rain of Light mockup sits next to Louvre Abu Dhabi in September 2014. Silvia Razgova / The National
A man works on the cathodic protection system at Louvre Abu Dhabi in March 2014. Silvia Razgova / The National
A view of Louvre Abu Dhabi's dome and the beginning stages of cladding work, as workers prepare to lift the last super-sized elements into place in September 2014. Silvia Razgova / The National
Men work on adding star-shaped elements to the dome in July 2015. Silvia Razgova / The National
Inside the Louvre Abu Dhabi dome in May 2015. Silvia Razgova / The National
The final piece of the roof is put into place in September 2016. Christopher Pike / The National
Construction of Louvre Abu Dhabi's dome in September 2014. Silvia Razgova / The National
Workers inside Louvre Abu Dhabi, beneath the Rain of Light dome, in 2017. Christopher Pike / The National
General view of Louvre Abu Dhabi in January 2017. Christopher Pike / The National
Men work on the ceiling for Louvre Abu Dhabi in May 2015. Christopher Pike / The National
Sole survivors
Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
