A consortium led by Dubai-based Arabtec Holding will build the Louvre Abu Dhabi art gallery for US$654 million, the developers of the project announced this week. Abu Dhabi has paid around US$1.3 billion to use the Louvre name for 30 years and to tap the renowned Paris museum for artworks and expertise during this period.
Abu Dhabi Tourism Development & Investment Company said construction of the white dome, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, would start immediately with the aim of opening the museum in 2015.
The contract was awarded to an Arabtec-led joint venture with Spanish company Constructora San Jose SA and Oger Abu Dhabi LLC. “The contract, valued at 2.4 billion dirhams (around $654 million), signifies a major milestone in the progress of the Louvre Abu Dhabi,” the company said in a press statement.
Meabnwhile, the deal has sparked a debate in the French art world, with critics saying the Louvre is eroding its brand value and ethics as they question Abu Dhabi’s treatment of dissidents and immigrant workers employed in the construction of the project.
