Global art masterpieces arrive at Louvre Abu Dhabi
Also this week: Mamluk art, light installations, desert dining and live Qawwali.
Welcome back to Al-Monitor Dubai.
This week, we are spotlighting impressive masterpieces — from ancient to modern art — that have been newly acquired or loaned to the Louvre Abu Dhabi; an upcoming exhibition on the Mamluk dynasty; and a festival in Dubai featuring light-based artworks by Emirati artists.
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Happy reading,
Rebecca
P.S. Have feedback or tips on Dubai's culture scene? Send them my way at contactus@al-monitor.com.
1. Leading the week: New masterpieces arrive at the Louvre Abu Dhabi
“The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis” by Charles Meynier. 1800. Oil on canvas (Courtesy of Louvre Abu Dhabi and Ismail Noor, Seeing Things)
New artistic dialogues will soon unfold at the Louvre Abu Dhabi with the arrival of several unique acquisitions and international loans, highlighting the museum’s commitment to universal cultural exchange.
“By continuously enriching Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection through carefully curated acquisitions, we ensure that the museum remains a dynamic space that resonates with art enthusiasts, families and curious minds alike,” said Guilhem Andre, director of scientific, curatorial and collections management at Louvre Abu Dhabi, in the opening press release.
New acquisitions include a Kota reliquary scupture made by the Kota people of Gabon in Central Africa, dating to the late 19th or early 20th century; a Roman Cameo possibly depicting Agrippa Postumus (circa 37-41 CE); the limestone head of an Ephebe dating to the 5th century BCE, from Cyprus; a collection of paintings, including “The Rialto Bridge from the South” (circa 1700) by Giovanni Antonio Canal; “Portrait of Kosa Pan” (1686) by Antoine Benoist, which portrays the first ambassador from Siam to the French Court of Louis XIV; and Wassily Kandinsky’s “White Oval” (1921).
Among the new loans are “Una Bulaquena” (1895), painted by Juan Luna — one of the most celebrated Filipino artists — on loan from the National Museum of the Philippines; two bronze figures introducing the theme of reimagining the human figure, on loan from Centre Pompidou: Femme de Venise V (Woman of Venice V, 1956), by Alberto Giacometti; and “L’Orage” (“The Storm,” 1947-1948), by Germaine Richier, which portrays a monumental male figure showcasing resilience in the face of unpredictable and unknown forces.
Dates: Ongoing
Location: Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
Find more information here.
2. Word on the street: Gobi
An interior view of Gobi at The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah. (Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton)
This new upscale restaurant offers a perfect escape from Dubai or Abu Dhabi, inviting guests to enjoy delicious cuisine amid the breathtaking views of the Al Wadi Desert.
The eatery, which recently opened, offers a Pan-Asian culinary journey inspired by the five Chinese elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Here dishes seamlessly blend rich textures, spices and alluring aromas to create savory dishes marrying Eastern culinary specialties.
Be sure to try the Gobi hamachi, prepared with a citrus marinade, wasabi mayo and yuzu tobiko; the wok-fried Singapore chili lobster, made with Omani lobster, crispy mantou and red chili sauce, served with steamed jasmine rice; and the Malay chicken curry, served with potatoes, fresh mint and star anise.
Location: The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert
Find more information here.
3. Dubai diary
Reception of a Venetian Delegation by the Mamluk Governor of Damascus circa 1500 – 1540. (Courtesy of Paris Louvre Museum, photography by Gabriel De Carvalho)
- Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire
Louvre Abu Dhabi will open its autumn season with a pivotal exhibition developed in partnership with Musee du Louvre, charting the tale of the Mamluks, one of the Islamic world’s most significant dynasties. On view will be more than 250 artworks celebrating the heritage, legacy and artistic mastery of the Mamluk era, dating from approximately 1250 to 1517 CE.
This exhibition not only covers Mamluks' unique social status and transformation but also their influence as highly skilled master craftsmen, skilled diplomats and traders, both regionally and globally. During their reign, artistic and intellectual expression flourished, resulting in architecture, design and art that can still be seen today — primarily in Egypt and Syria — as a lasting imprint of their legacy on the Arab world.
Dates: Sept. 17 to Jan. 25
Location: Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island
Find more information here.
- Dhai Dubai returns to Expo City Dubai
The light art festival will return to Expo City Dubai this fall, featuring seven Emirati artists spanning three generations. The event, a collaboration between Expo City Dubai and Dubai Culture, offers a platform for local artists to present their heritage through light-based artworks. Commissioned Emirati artists include Fatma Lootah, Mohammed Kazem, Khalid AlBanna, Alia Bin Omair, AlZaina Lootah, Ahmed Al Areef Al Dhaheri and Hessa Alghandi. The event will include a program of artist talks and public dialogues at the House of Arts, a new venue at Expo City Dubai dedicated to cultural expression.
Dates: Nov. 12-18
Location: Expo City Dubai, UAE
Find more information here.
- Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Shazman Ali Khan perform in Dubai
The Pakistani singer will once again play at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. A renowned performer of Qawwali music — a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan and India — Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has made the show a hot ticket item due to the breadth of his work. He is the nephew of renowned Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and has worked with a wide variety of international musicians, including Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder on the soundtrack and the Oscar-winning 1995 film “Dead Man Walking.” Rahat will be joined by his son, Shazman Ali Khan.
Date: Aug. 30
Location: Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk, Dubai
Find more information here.
4. Book of the week: “Hind, or the Most Beautiful Woman in the World”
Last April, renowned Lebanese-French author Hoda Barakat won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the prize’s literature category for her 2024 novel, “Hind, or the Most Beautiful Woman in the World.” Chosen out of a shortlist of three, the book charts the story of a mother who loses her beautiful firstborn child, Hind. When her second daughter, Hanadi, begins to show signs of acromegaly, causing excess growths in certain parts of her body, she hides her away. The book explores both the standards of beauty in various cultures while also examining the psychological and physical challenges of individuals who operate on the margins of society, delving into the meaning behind beauty itself.
5. View from Dubai
The Ramada Dubai during the 1980s. (Courtesy of Ramada)
Once one of Dubai’s glitzy hotels alongside The Chicago Beach Hotel, Hard Rock Cafe and Jumeirah TV Tower — all of which have since been destroyed in favor of building newer upscale properties — the four-star Ramada opened in 1983 in Bur Dubai and was largely surrounded by desert, as pictured here. Three decades later, it was the core of a densely packed urban sprawl; in 2016, the 174-room hotel was also destroyed — its once shiny, red-lit exterior signage but a distant memory for those who knew Dubai a decade and more ago.
6. By the numbers
- Las Vegas casino operator Wynn Resorts expects to be the first and only casino in the UAE when it opens its Al Marjan Island resort in Ras Al Khaimah in 2027, boosting its revenues to $5 billion a year — although some analysts say that number could reach $8 billion, reports Arabian Gulf Business Insight.
- Its 1,500-room Al Marjan resort is being built under a 15-year exclusive casino license, the first being granted in the UAE in 2024.