Current Conditions Clear, 10.9°C

CP28174252 — French President Francois Hollande, center left, Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nathyan, Abu Dhabi authority president for tourism and culture, left, French architect Jean Nouvel, center right, and French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti, right, visit the exhibition \'Birth of a Museum\', at the Louvre museum Tuesday, April 29, 2014, in Paris. The \'Birth of a Museum\' exposition presents paintings, sculptures, and other artworks that the famous French Louvre museum will send to the new Louvre museum branch in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, and which is expected to open in 2015. (AP Photo/Alain Jocard, Pool)

Louvre Abu Dhabi hopes to bring culture to UAE, as works are previewed in Paris

April 29 2014 01:09 AM

PARIS – The Louvre is giving European audiences a preview of the incredible works the upcoming Louvre Abu Dhabi — the Persian Gulf’s first ever world museum — has bought from world museums for hundreds of millions of dollars.

The museum, to be opened in December 2015, hopes to put the country with the world’s seventh biggest oil reserves also on the map for its class of oil paintings.

On Tuesday, French President Francois Hollande inaugurated the preview exhibition of 200 works, including a 19th century Yemeni Torah, a 13th century Gothic Bible as well as masterpieces by artists such as Pablo Picasso.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.