Watch: Macron guest of honour at Louvre Abu Dhabi opening

French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the new Abu Dhabi Louvre museum on Wednesday, the 8th of November as the UAE capital positions itself as a cultural hub for tourism with a display of hundreds of works that it hopes will draw visitors from around the world.

Macron is on a two-day visit that will see him hold talks on the geopolitical situation with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, before ending his trip in Dubai to attend an economic forum.

Surrounded by water from three sides, the museum houses 600 artworks it has acquired, alongside 300 works on loan from 13 leading French institutions, in its 23 permanent galleries. The artists range from Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh to Pablo Picasso and Cy Twombly.

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Macron, along with his wife Brigitte Macron were among the guests of honour at the opening, along with other heads of state.

The Abu Dhabi museum was set up under a 2007 inter-governmental agreement between Paris and Abu Dhabi. Originally slated to open in 2012, it was delayed by the global financial crisis and then by low oil prices, which led the United Arab Emirates to rein in spending.