Ministry of Antiquities denied sending any antiquities to be displayed at Abu Dhabi’s Louvre museum set to open on November 11. This has came after several local media outlets accused the government of secretly sending ancient Egyptian monuments especially after rumours spread that the museum will contain rare relics from Egypt’s different historical eras.
In a press release, Elham Salah, the head of museum’s sector at the Ministry assured that Egypt hasn’t sent any antiquities to the UAE for 20 years, assuring that any displayed relics would be taken from the Louvre in Paris based on the partnership between France and UAE.
The museum was originally set to be opened back in 2012, however it faced financial and constructional issues caused the delay.
The museum is planned to display around 600 master pieces from around the world, combining between modern contemporary art and classics. The France—UAE partnership state the Abu Dhabi’s Louvre is a permanent museum and can be loaned art pieces from France for 10 to 15 years.
Imam also asserted that Egypt can not interfere to prevent displaying any of the pieces as they were legally transferred from Egypt before the issuing of the antiquities protecting law in 1983. she assured that Antiquities trade was legal back then and many antiquities were transferred outside the country based on deals that stated that any country can get half the unearthed relics.
Abu Dhabi calls its Louvre as “the first universal museum in the Arab world.”, it’s planned to display art work from different cultures and historic eras and figures statues for Islamic, Jewish, and Christian’s cultures.
The complex was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and features a sliver dome which allows light to stream through it like the palm fronds of the Gulf. The buildings are also interspersed with pools of water.
