Louvre Abu Dhabi

Louvre Abu Dhabi stands on the waterfront of Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, in the Saadiyat Cultural District. It opened on 11 November 2017. It was created under a 2007 agreement between the United Arab Emirates and France, which allows the museum to use the Louvre name until 2047 and provides loans and expertise from French museums.

The museum covers about 24,000 square metres, with about 8,000 square metres of galleries, which makes it the largest art museum on the Arabian Peninsula. The Louvre has described it as France's largest cultural project abroad.

The building was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel. A huge dome about 180 metres across, made of eight layers of steel and aluminium patterns, floats over a cluster of white buildings set around water channels. Sunlight passes through thousands of openings in the dome and falls on the floors as moving spots, an effect called the rain of light. The permanent galleries follow human history in chronological order, from the first villages and early empires to world religions, trade and the modern age, showing works from different cultures side by side. The collection includes ancient sculpture, manuscripts, Old Master paintings and modern works, with regular loans from French museums. Temporary exhibitions and a children's museum add to the visit.

The waterfront walkways under the dome are open to ticket holders and are a favourite spot at sunset. Kayak tours paddle around the outside of the museum.

Tickets are bought online or at the door. Gallery hours vary by day and are posted on the official site. Allow three hours.

How much does Louvre Abu Dhabi cost? An adult ticket for visitors aged 18 and over costs AED 70, including VAT, according to the museum. Visitors under 18 enter free, along with several other groups listed on the official site. Some galleries close for short periods while new works are installed, so check the day's notices before a long trip.

Highlights include a Bactrian princess figure from about 2000 BC, a monumental statue from Ain Ghazal in Jordan, one of the oldest known statues of a human figure, and paintings by Rembrandt, Manet and Mondrian, alongside works on loan from French museums. Works from different regions are placed side by side so visitors can compare how cultures treated the same subjects.

Getting there. Louvre Abu Dhabi is about 10 minutes by car from downtown Abu Dhabi and about 90 minutes from Dubai on the E11 motorway. The museum has a car park, and taxis and ride-hailing cars drop off at the main entrance. Saadiyat Island is also home to the Abrahamic Family House and Saadiyat Beach, and further museums are under way in the Cultural District.