French president Emmanuel Macron declared on Wednesday night that the UAE and France are "forever intertwined".
In an impassioned speech at the official opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Mr Macron said that together Abu Dhabi and Paris are on a path of "conquest" for beauty and culture, as part of a "duty for the youth of your country, the region and the world".
He emphasised the role of "beauty" and "culture" to support civilisations rejecting those who seek to divide people.
Mr Macron addressed Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy commander of the UAE armed forces, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, who welcomed hundreds of guests to one of the most anticipated events of the art world.
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Among the guests were King Hamad bin Issa of Bahrain and King Mohammed VI of Morocco, in addition to members of the UAE government and instrumental figures in making the museum a reality, including Mohamed Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, Saif Ghobash, Director General of the the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and architect Jean Nouvel.
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Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces with, from left, Moroccan King Mohammed VI of Morocco, French president Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte Macron, Bahrain's King Hamed bin Isa Al Khalifa and Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan president. Ludovic Marin / AFP Photo -
The delegation listens to President-Director of the Louvre Museum, Jean-Luc Martinez , during a tour of Louvre Abu Dhabi. Ludovic Marin / AFP Photo -
Chairman of Abu Dhabi's Tourism and Culture Authority, Mohamad Khalifa Al Mubarak, left, guides Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Mr Macron through Louvre Abu Dhabi with Jean-Luc Martinez, Director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Mrs Macron. Ludovic Marin / AFP Photo -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed greets French President Emmanuel Macron. Karim Sahib / AFP Photo -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, right, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, left, pose at the entrance of Louvre Abu Dhabi with Mr and Mrs Macron during its inauguration. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP Photo -
An Emirari man carrying the UAE national flag at the entrance ofLouvre Abu Dhabi. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP Photo -
The delegation looks at an installation at Louvre Abu Dhabi. Ludovic Marin / AFP Photo -
Louvre Abu Dhabi opens to the public on November 11. Ludovic Marin / AFP Photo -
The French president tours Louvre Abu Dhabi. Ludovic Marin / AFP Photo -
King Mohammed VI of Morocco, French President Emmanuel Macron, his wife Brigitte and Director General of Abu Dhabi's Tourism and Culture Authority Saif Saeed Ghobash look at a piece of art. Ludovic Marin / AFP Photo -
King Mohammed VI takes a closer look at "Whistler's Mother" by James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Ludovic Marin / AFP Photo
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid spoke of the importance of the Louvre Abu Dhabi in "representing the best of the East and the best of the West". In his speech, Sheikh Mohammed called for "an alliance of civilisations, beyond just a dialogue between civilisations", stating that the museum is an embodiment of the "legacy of Zayed", in reference to Sheikh Zayed, founding father of the nation.
He went on to say that it would allow the battling of extremism with "beauty", lauding "our shared human civilisation".
The French president sees the Louvre Abu Dhabi as the foundation for an expansion of French culture and influence in the Middle East and Africa. In his speech, Mr Macron pledged to work hard to get the French language back in schools in the UAE – saying that it is not a "closed language", rather one that is about "reason and light". He said it "should not be a language of colonisation".
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid accompanied the French president, along with the Kings of Bahrain and Morocco, and Afghanistan’s president Ashraf Ghani as they toured the museum.
