Owned by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture & Tourism, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art and civilization museum, located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is located in the Saadiyat Island.
The massive museum, one of the largest in the world, is designed as a floating dome structure. The web-patterned dome allows the sun to filter through creating an overall effect meant to represent “rays of sunlight passing through date palm fronds in an oasis.
Its watertight basement and tidal pools within the galleries give the illusion of a “museum in the sea” while protecting artwork, artefacts and visitors from the corrosive marine environment.
As a visitor, you will be treated to world class galleries, exhibitions and famous masterpieces that are not found anywhere else in the world.
You’ll need around two hours just to do the most basic walk-through of the magnificent museum. However, as you are likely to want to linger and examine the various pieces of art. We recommend budgeting at least 4 hours to thoroughly enjoy what the museum has to offer.
What is The Louvre Abu Dhabi
Located on the Saadiyat Island Cultural District, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is an art and civilization museum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Its 24,000 square meters size and more than 8,000 square meters of magnificent galleries makes it the largest art museum in the Arabian Peninsula.
Designed by Pritzker-prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, this important and iconic gallery is worth a visit for both the building and its contents. The museum showcases artworks from all over the world with a view of bridging the gap between Western and Eastern art.
A part of a US$27 billion tourist and cultural development complex for Saadiyat Island, the Louvre is a 30 year joint project between the French and Abu Dhabi governments. It is to be noted that the city of Abu Dhabi paid a whopping $525 million to be associated with the Louvre name.
The art collection has no less than 35,000 artworks and artefacts.
What are the most important artworks to see in The Louvre Abu Dhabi
The museum has a wonderful diversity of artwork in its gallery including:
- Monumental statue with two heads
Discovered in Ain Ghazal, Jordan, this statue dates back to 6,500 BCE and in terms of large scale representations of human form, it is among the earliest. The statue is one of the oldest known to mankind.
- Self Portrait
Vincent van Gogh, the most prolific self-portraitist ever with over 30 self-portraits, is said to have painted himself in this painting in 1887, France.
- Children Wrestling
This 1888 Paul Gauguin oil on canvas painting depicts wrestling children. It reflects the effect s of a Japanese art called Japonism.
- Latin translation of the Treatise on Optics (Kitab Al Manazir)
This treatise is a collection of discoveries by Ibn Al Haytham, an Egyptian Mathematician, physicist, astronomer and author that were fundamental to the development of modern science.
- Astrolabe
This a tool made of cast brass and silver nails used to tell time and calculate geographic position by measuring the position and altitude of stars used for navigation on the high seas.
- Young Emir Studying
This is a painting by Osman Hamdy Bey from Istanbul Turkey and painted in 1878. It depicts learning and contemplation amidst understated Oriental fabrics.
- Composition with Blue, Red, Yellow and Black
A Piet Mondrian painting, the 1922 French oil on canvas depicts neo-plasticism, a new form of abstraction limited to lines and basic primary colours. He is credited with the quote “Art is higher than reality and has no direct relation to reality.”
- Ramses II Pharaoh of Egypt statue
The 2.5m statue depicting Ramses II sitting on his throne dates back to 1279-1213 BCE the pharaoh’s reign.
- Mari-Cha lion
This statue is made of bronze and is one of the most important Islamic works of art from the Mediterranean region (Southern Spain or southern Italy 1000-1200 BCE).
- Salt cellar with Portuguese soldiers and a caravel (ship)
A detailed, carved, piece of ivory with decoration inspired by European engravings. It is from Edo culture, Nigeria an ancient kingdom of Benin dating back 1600 BCE. It is an example of cultural exchanges between Portugal and ancient African kingdoms.
When did The Louvre Abu Dhabi open
The museum was inaugurated on 8 November 2017 by French President Emmanuel Macron, United Arab Emirates Vice President Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi’s establishment was however approved by the French Parliament on 9 October 2007 and construction work officially started on 26th May 2009. The museum is part of a 30-year agreement between the city of Abu Dhabi and the French government.
$525 million was paid by Abu Dhabi to be associated with the Louvre name, and an additional $747 million will be paid in exchange for art loans, special exhibitions, and management advice.
Who Designed the Louvre Abu Dhabi
The architect for the building is Jean Nouvel , a French architect born in 12 August 1945 in Fumel, France. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of Mars 1976 and Syndicat de l’Architecture.
He has obtained a number of prestigious distinctions over the course of his career, including the Aga Khan Award for Architecture a prize awarded for the Institut du Monde Arabe which he designed, the Wolf Prize in Arts in 2005 and the Pritzker Prize in 2008. Moreover, various museums and architectural centers have presented retrospectives of his work.
The engineering work was done by BuroHappold Engineering who provided multidisciplinary engineering services across the project, including structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, energy and environmental consultancy, water engineering, facade engineering, lighting design, people movement consultancy, security services and inclusive design.
Where is the Louvre Abu Dhabi
The museum is located on the Saadiyat Island Cultural District. It is approximately 24,000 square meters (260,000 square feet) in size, with 8,000 square meters (86,000 square feet) of galleries, making it the largest art museum in the Arabian Peninsula.
The museum is part of Saadiyat Island’s Cultural District, a complex which is planned to include three other museums, including Zayed National Museum, to be designed by United Kingdom-based architectural company Foster and Partners under the direction of Lord Norman Foster; the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi contemporary arts museum – expected to be the world’s largest Guggenheim; a performing arts center designed by Zaha Hadid; a maritime museum with concept design by Tadao Ando and a number of arts pavilions.
In November 2019, the street leading to the Louvre Abu Dhabi was named Jacques Chirac Street in celebration of Chirac’s efforts to bolster links between France and the UAE during his presidency.
How to get to the Louvre Abu Dhabi
The distance between Abu Dhabi Bus Station and Louvre Abu Dhabi is 7 km. The road distance is 12.7 km.
There are 4 ways you can take from Abu Dhabi Bus Station to the Louvre Abu Dhabi namely: taxi, bus , car or metro bus
The metro 094line buses are boarded from Abu Dhabi Bus Station to Louvre Abu Dhabi. The journey via the line bus takes 34 minutes including transfers and costs $1 – $2.
To reach the museum using a regular bus, you will need to take a direct bus departing from Abu Dhabi Bus Station and arriving at Abu Dhabi – Saadiyat Louvre. Services depart every 30 minutes and operate every day of the week. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes.
The cheapest and fastest alternative however is to self-drive from Abu Dhabi Bus Station to Louvre Abu Dhabi which takes which 12 minutes and costs $1.
Another option for you to get from Abu Dhabi Bus Station to Louvre Abu Dhabi is to take a taxi which costs $7 – $9 and takes 12 min.
In all the travel ways listed above you will need to adhere strictly to Covid 19 restriction guidelines set in place such as mandatory mask wearing, 2 meters social distancing and domestic border crossing measures such as approval, testing and quarantine.
Modest dressing for both men and women is recommended.
Ticket prices Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Louvre Abu Dhabi admission prices range from AED 31-63 with AED 63 for adults, AED 31 for young adults ages 13-22 years old and seniors aged over 65 years old. The museum is free for the disabled children aged less than 13 years.
Louvre Abu Dhabi admission prices can vary with the different travel tour companies. Entrance tickets with TripAdvisor for example currently cost $30.00, while a popular guided tour starts around $29.31 per person
Louvre Abu Dhabi can be crowded, so booking e-tickets ahead of time to secure your spot is recommended. If you book with TripAdvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
Louvre Abu Dhabi Opening Hours
Louvre Abu Dhabi is open as highlighted below
Monday Closed
Tuesday 10am–8:00pm
Wednesday 10am–8:00pm
Thursday 10am–10:00pm
Friday 10am–10:00pm
Saturday 10am–8:00pm
Sunday 10am–8:00pm