Visitors flock to Louvre as museums, cultural hubs reopen in Abu Dhabi
Visitors thronged Louvre Abu Dhabi as museums, cultural sites reopened after lockdown in the capital on Wednesday.
The first among the visitors was Igor Chilovsky, an expatriate from France. He was eager to explore the second Louvre museum in the world – the first one being in his native city of Paris.
“It was in February that I arrived here in Abu Dhabi. I have wanted to visit this place ever since because I know the Louvre of Paris very well. I used to go to Louvre in Paris regularly and wanted to see the one in Abu Dhabi. This is a wonderful opportunity after the confinement and to be one of the first visitors here after the reopening. I am very happy with measures taken by the Abu Dhabi government to ensure our safety and well-being during this pandemic. I feel very safe here and confident to visit the wonderful museum and the art Louvre Abu Dhabi has to offer,” Chilovsky said.
Margarita Ivanova, a Russian expatriate visiting the Louvre Abu Dhabi, said she was excited as cultural sites have reopened at last, khaleejtimes.com reported.
“I have been to Paris several times but never had an opportunity to see the Louvre there, so this is a unique experience for me. I really wanted to visit this place.”
At the Louvre was also a group of frontline medical workers from the US, who had come to serve at Sheikh Shakbout Medical City in Abu Dhabi. The team, which will be returning home on Sunday, was thrilled at the opportunity of seeing cultural places in Abu Dhabi and unwind a bit.
“I was here for work as a nurse. It’s been wonderful to be in the UAE. I have been to a desert safari. But every other place was closed and today is the first day of reopening. I had to see this place before I returned home. Louvre Abu Dhabi is beautiful,” Amy Falzone said. Visiting the Louvre along with her were her colleagues Morgan Poste, Jane Dennison, Madinah Durrani, Breanna Eastman and Sara Eter, who echoed her sentiment.
“We are starting to explore Abu Dhabi bit by bit. We are happy places have reopened just in time for us to see them before we return. We needed such days to relax and have fun,” Falzone pointed out.
The other sites to reopen include Qasr Al Hosn, and the Cultural Foundation’s exhibition and Artists in Residence studio, outdoor areas of Al Ain Oasis, Qasr Al Muwaiji, Al Jahili Fort and Al Ain Palace Museum.
Strict health and safety guidelines and precautionary measures have been put in place at all these sites.