Abu Dhabi Museum Not Ready

Q: Is the new Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi open yet? If so, how long should we allocate to visit it when we visit the emirates in July? - Graham Ashton

A: No, the museum is not yet open. The agreement for the museum between the French and Abu Dhabi governments was signed more in 2007, but it is only scheduled to be completed next year (2012). The museum is to be located on the Saadiyat Island complex (where the Grand Prix track is also located), and will be approximately 24,000 square metres in size. The final cost of the construction is expected to be around €100 million. There is no finality on which works of art will be showcased at the museum, but the focus is on bridging the gap between Eastern and Western art. (16/1/11)