UAE News: Louvre Abu Dhabi opened “Spices and Wonders: Journeys Through the Indian Ocean” on 14 October 2026, an exhibition of more than 240 works that traces ten centuries of maritime trade linking Arabia, India, East Africa and Southeast Asia. Organised with France’s Musée Guimet, it runs until 14 February 2027.
Key facts
- More than 240 artworks and objects, from antiquity to the 17th century, are on show in six sections.
- Loans come from 24 institutions in seven countries across the Gulf, Southeast Asia and Europe.
- Curators are Dr Guilhem André of Louvre Abu Dhabi and Dr Claire Delery of the Musée Guimet.
- Louvre Abu Dhabi is lending more works from its own collection than to any previous exhibition.
- The show travels to the Musée Guimet in Paris from 12 May to 6 September 2027.
What is in the Louvre Abu Dhabi Indian Ocean exhibition?
Textiles, metalwork, ceramics, sculpture and navigation instruments. The opening was led by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, Gulf News reported.
Some loans stand out. A dagger and scabbard made in India around 1615–1620 comes from the al-Sabah Collection in Kuwait. Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art sent a Mamluk incense burner dated 1294–1340. From Paris, the National Library of France lent a manuscript by Ibn Majid and a German terrestrial globe from about 1535, while the Musée Guimet contributed a statue of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara from southern Vietnam, late 7th to early 8th century.
The museum’s own pieces include a world map by Vesconte Maggiolo, drawn in Genoa around 1531, a Japanese Namban-style map from about 1690 and a gem-set ivory casket carved in Kotte, Ceylon, around 1543.
Arab seafarers at the centre
The exhibition puts Arab navigators at the heart of the story rather than at its edge. “This exhibition highlights the pioneering role of Arab seafarers in navigating the open-sea routes,” co-curator Claire Delery said. Ibn Majid, the 15th-century navigator born in what is now Ras Al Khaimah, gets particular attention as an innovator in celestial navigation.
Guilhem André described the show as embodying “the essence of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s mission to highlight the stories that connect cultures”.
Ships, scents and sound
Section three holds six large ship models, from the Middle Ages to the early modern period, based on historical wrecks. Section four is built around smell. With the Swiss fragrance firm Givaudan, visitors can sample six raw materials, including frankincense, and three perfume compositions. A short film by Emirati director Nujoom Al Ghanem opens the route, and an immersive sound and video installation by Sam Nester closes it.
The UAE National Orchestra performs on 15 November, and a trilingual catalogue is available.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island |
| Dates | 14 October 2026 – 14 February 2027 |
| Works | 240+ from 24 lenders in 7 countries |
| Partner | Musée national des arts asiatiques – Guimet, Paris |
| Paris dates | 12 May – 6 September 2027 |
Why it matters for the Global South
The Indian Ocean was a global economy long before the Atlantic was. This exhibition makes that case with objects from Kuwait, Qatar, India, Vietnam and Sri Lanka sharing space with European maps. For BRICS members, with the UAE, India, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia all on its shores, it is a reminder in glass cases of trade ties older than any summit communiqué. Our verdict: worth the trip. See more in our Museum section and the UAE page.
FAQ
How long does “Spices and Wonders” run at Louvre Abu Dhabi?
From 14 October 2026 to 14 February 2027.
Who are the curators?
Dr Guilhem André (Louvre Abu Dhabi) and Dr Claire Delery (Musée Guimet), with Fakhra Al Kindi and Dr Andrea Rosavolgi.
Will the exhibition travel?
Yes, to the Musée Guimet in Paris from 12 May to 6 September 2027.
Sources: Gulf News; Abu Dhabi Media Office; Louvre Abu Dhabi.
