Louvre Abu Dhabi to host new international exhibition

Roads of Arabia: Archaeological

Treasures of Saudi Arabia will open at Louvre Abu Dhabi next month, and will showcase items that span the Arabian Peninsula’s early prehistoric settlements, maritime exploration, and the caravan trading routes that linked the region with Asia, Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean. Some objects will also showcase the routes of holy pilgrimage that emerged in the 7th century BC, and the social economic changes of the 14th and 16th centuries. The exhibition has already toured the world, and has been seen by more than five million people, but new to Louvre Abu Dhabi show will be important archaeological pieces from the UAE, including a pearl found in Umm Al Quwain that dates back to around 5500 BC, and a statue of an eagle standing on a bull’s head from 100 AD (pictured). The artefacts from Saudi Arabia include a funerary Neolithic slab and a door of the Kaaba dating to 1355. “The United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have always been connected by a common heritage and history,” says Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. “This year’s exhibition will be a reflection of the rich, shared cultural heritage and deep-rooted history between the two nations.”

The exhibition will open on November 8 and run until February 16, 2019 – entrance will be included in the general museum ticket.