Sawt Falasteen - Fears grow for French loans at Louvre Abu Dhabi as war rages

The museum, which opened in the United Arab Emirates in 2017, has so far escaped damage from nearly 1,800 Iranian drone and missile strikes launched since the conflict erupted on February 28.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi museum -- which remains open -- said the safety of its visitors, staff and collections remains its "top priority".

But concerns are mounting in France.

"The works must be removed," said Didier Selles -- who helped broker the original agreement between France and the UAE.

He told Telerama magazine the artefacts were at risk following the outbreak of war opposing Israel and the United States to Iran.

French journal La Tribune de l'Art echoed that alarm, saying: "The Louvre's works in Abu Dhabi must be secured!"

France's culture ministry sought to reassure critics, telling AFP that French authorities were "in close and regular contact with the authorities of the United Arab Emirates to ensure the protection of the works loaned by France to the Louvre Abu Dhabi".

- Repatriation risks -

Under the agreement with the UAE, France agreed to provide expertise, lend works of art and organise exhibitions, in return for one billion euros ($1.1 billion), including 400 million euros just licensing the use of the Louvre name.

The landmark deal was extended in 2021 by a further decade to 2047 for an additional 165 million euros.

France Museums, the international museum consultancy tasked with developing the Louvre Abu Dhabi said that in addition to the museum's 600-piece permanent collection, some 250 works are on loan from France, though it declined to provide further details.

Major French institutions, including the Louvre and the Orsay museum, declined to specify which works they had loaned to the Louvre Abu Dhabi when contacted by AFP.

On its website, the Louvre says it entrusts 100 artefacts to the Abu Dhabi museum each year.

A source with knowledge of the matter, told AFP on condition of anonymity there was no imminent danger, noting that the museum is designed to protect collections from both security threats and natural disasters.

Repatriation would carry its own set of dangers, the source added.

"Can we imagine an airlift to transport works in the midst of conflict?" they asked.

G.AbuHamad--SF-PST