For the past twenty years, Westerners have established countless partnerships in the Gulf, including cultural and academic collaborations, on which the funding of our own institutions now depends.
On February 28, missile debris fell on Saadiyat Island in the United Arab Emirates, near the future Guggenheim Museum, where the Louvre Abu Dhabi dome stands. The museum houses works by Monet, Rembrandt, Giacometti, and Veronese from French collections. The same day in Doha, the National Museum of Qatar decided to close under threat, as it employs several Western curators and consultants.
The Gulf countries have become a playground for European and American operators exchanging their expertise in cultural engineering. This has become a major source of funding for our institutions in need.
Established twenty years ago, the Sorbonne Abu Dhabi pays Parisian professors and contributes to its parent university. The Louvre Museum now relies on its UAE branch financially, having already received funds with more expected in the future.
As Western universities and museums benefit from Gulf funding, concerns have been raised about potential dependencies and the financial sustainability of such projects. The cultural strategy of Gulf monarchies has proven successful in attracting international partnerships, transforming the region into a cultural center with global recognition.
