RIYADH/ ABU DHABI, November 22 – The Royal Commission for Al-Ula (RCU) celebrates the opening of the Roads of Arabia exhibit at the Musee de Louvre in Abu Dhabi with the French Agency for Al-Ula Development (AFALULA). The exhibition which opened on the 8th of November features artifacts, photographs, and other elements from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, including historical pieces from Al-Ula.
To commemorate the opening of the Roads of Arabia exhibit, RCU’s Chief Officer of Heritage, Nature, Arts and Culture, Kate Hall-Tipping, and Nora Aldabal, RCU’s Arts & Culture Engagement Manager, toured the special exhibit with Gérard Mestrallet, AFALULA Executive President, and Manuel Rabate, Director of the Louvre.
Speaking about the exhibition, Kate Hall-Tipping said: “This special exhibition reflects the incredible depth of heritage in Saudi Arabia. Al-Ula is very much part of this narrative, with extraordinary monuments to past civilizations continually revealed through cutting-edge archeology.”
Gérard Mestrallet said, “Visiting the Louvre in Abu Dhabi and the Roads of Arabia exhibition is really inspiring. I am proud of the French expertise and realization of the Louvre. This is this cultural expertise that the French Agency for Al-Ula Development wants to bring to the Al-Ula project in a spirit of co-construction with RCU and dialogue of civilization.”
The exhibition features a number of pieces from Al-Ula, a 2000-year-old desert town in western Saudi Arabia that has been barely seen by anyone other than locals or a select number of archaeologists.
After experiencing the exhibition, Nora Aldabal stated: “The exhibit is an eye-opening experience and it’s truly great to have it back at the Louvre after eight years. The Incense Roads section of the exhibit gives you a preview of the majestic essence of Al-Ula and makes you feel like you really are one with Al-Ula’s extraordinary nature.”
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The Royal Commission for Al-Ula (RCU) was established in July 2017 to protect and reinvigorate Al-Ula, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in northwest Saudi Arabia. RCU believes that Al-Ula has the potential to be a beacon for the Arab world, a gateway that welcomes local and international visitors to experience Saudi Arabia’s unique culture, and the stories built on ancient civilizations.
The French Agency for Al-Ula Development was established in July 2018 after the signing in Paris in April 2018 of a bilateral agreement between France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia concerning the development of Al-Ula, a region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
