France United Arab Emirates

Dr Souraya Noujaim has been appointed director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, returning to the Saadiyat Island museum where she previously helped shape its early curatorial vision and build its permanent collection. The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi announced the appointment on October 7, as the museum approaches its 10th anniversary in 2027.

Noujaim, an art historian and curator specialising in Islamic art history and archaeology, most recently led the Department of Islamic Arts at the Musée du Louvre in Paris. She also served as Chief of the French Grand Department of Islamic Art Heritage, with responsibility for a collection of 18,000 Islamic artworks.

In Abu Dhabi, her remit will cover the museum's broader strategic direction, including acquisitions and collection development, research, conservation, education, public engagement, visitor experience and institutional growth.

Return to a museum she helped establish

Noujaim's connection to Louvre Abu Dhabi began more than a decade ago. She contributed to the institution's early intellectual and curatorial planning before becoming its first Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management Director in February 2018.

She held that role until April 2023, overseeing curatorial work and strategic acquisitions that expanded the museum's permanent holdings.

“Louvre Abu Dhabi holds a special place in my professional and personal journey,” Noujaim said after the announcement. She said she intended to expand and enrich the collection while reinforcing the museum's ties with audiences in Abu Dhabi and abroad.

“I am honoured to return to Abu Dhabi and lead this remarkable institution into its next chapter,” she said.

Growing permanent collection

The museum has changed substantially since opening in November 2017. At that time, about 30 per cent of the art on display was owned by Louvre Abu Dhabi, while the remaining 70 per cent was largely made available through loans from French museums and lenders in the region.

Nearly two-thirds of the works now shown across the museum's four chronological worlds belong to Louvre Abu Dhabi. Loans continue to rotate through the galleries from 19 French partner institutions, as well as regional and international museums.

Louvre Abu Dhabi's permanent collection covers thousands of years of history, ranging from prehistoric objects and religious texts to paintings and contemporary works. Its galleries are organised chronologically to place objects from different civilisations together, highlighting cultural links and exchanges rather than treating their histories separately.

More than eight million visitors have attended the museum since its opening. It has presented 22 temporary exhibitions, five editions of Art Here and six exhibitions at the Children's Museum.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi and president of Louvre Abu Dhabi, said Noujaim had been involved in the museum's development from its earliest stages.

“Since 2017, [Louvre Abu Dhabi] has contributed greatly to the Emirate’s status as a global cultural capital. Dr Noujaim has been part of the museum’s journey from its earliest stages, helping shape its collection, scholarly foundations and distinctive universal narrative,” he said.

As the museum enters its second decade, Al Mubarak said Noujaim's international experience and understanding of the institution would support its role as a cultural institution in the region and internationally.

Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, Louvre Abu Dhabi opened on Saadiyat Island under an agreement between the governments of Abu Dhabi and France. Its dome, drawing inspiration from traditional Islamic architecture, is known for the museum's “rain of light” effect.