UAE-France cultural ties come in focus

Photographs and documents never seen by public on display at Sorbonne University

Rare archives and photographs that have never been seen by the public before went on display on Sunday as part of an exhibition celebrating the longstanding cultural ties between the UAE and France.

Organised by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, the exhibition — French Cultural Diplomacy in the UAE at the Time of Shaikh Zayed — showcases France’s relationship with the UAE from 1974, with all of the documentation collected from the archives of France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Centre of Diplomatic Archives. The exhibition will be open until October 28.

Cultural diplomacy

“This exhibition is focused on the cultural diplomacy and dialogue between France and the UAE during the life and career of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. All of the documents and photographs on display are meant to show the different aspects of this cultural collaboration between both countries going back to 1974,” said Yann Rodier, head of History Department at Sobonne Abu Dhabi and the main organiser of the exhibition.

“It took a long time to collect and gather all of the data, there were hundreds of different documents to go through and then it was also about choosing the right documents and photographs to put on display,” he added, explaining the process that went into making the exhibition which he says took around nine months.

“The archives that have been selected for display show the diplomatic history, cultural history, economic history and the international relations between France and the UAE. They show how the relationship between both countries has been there since the foundation of the UAE,” said Rodier.

Abdullah Al Beloushi, 19, an Emirati student attending Sorbonne Abu Dhabi said the institute was a testament to the strong relations between the UAE and France during the time of Shaikh Zayed.

“Institutes like Sorbonne Abu Dhabi are a legacy of Shaikh Zayed and his work. This university stands as a bridge between different civilisations — Europe and the Arab world,” he added.

The exhibition — French Cultural Diplomacy in the UAE at the time of Shaikh Zayed — showcases France’s relationship with the UAE from 1974.