France’s Macron, Arab leaders tour the Louvre Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — French President Emmanuel Macron took his first walk Wednesday night through the galleries of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a decade after his country signed an over $1.2 billion agreement to share the name and some of the artworks of the world-famous museum.
Macron and his wife, Brigitte, walked up to the museum with Abu Dhabi’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nayhan and Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Both Emirati rulers smiled and greeted the couple, an Emirati honour guard standing at ready nearby.
With architect Jean Nouvel at his side, Macron entered the first gallery of the museum. Nouvel pointed out the skylight within it, which mirrors the Louvre Pyramid and are similar to others through the museum.
The floor beneath them bore the outline of the United Arab Emirates, with different world cities named on it in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and English.