How museums around the UAE are celebrating International Museum Day

From Louvre Abu Dhabi to Etihad Museum, art fans can take advantage of waived entry fees and extended hours today

Portrait of a Young Woman, Ethiopia, September 1885 – November 1888 by Jules Borelli (1852–1941). Photo: musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN – Grand Palais / image musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

Portrait of Sir Pratab Singh, Maharajah of Orchla with his entourage, India, 1882. Photo: MNAAG, Paris, Dist. RMN – Grand Palais  image Musée Guimet

Malay Interor. Photo: musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN – Grand Palais  image musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

Bursa, Group of Workmen. Photo: Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris

Album of photographs of the Philippines. Photo: musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN – Grand Palais  image musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

Portrait of a Persian Dignitary, Tehran, 1848. Photo: RMN – Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay)  Hervé Lewandowski

Dead crocodile on a boat on the Nile, Egypt, 1852. Photo: Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris

Portrait of three Mi’kmaq Women, Newfoundland, 1857. Photo: Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris

A Street, Canton, China, 1870 – 1890. Lai Fong (c. 1839 – 1890). Aristotype print. Photo: musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN – Grand Palais / image musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

A Tambo in the Mountains at a Height of 16,000 Feet, Andes Mountains, 1849. Attributed to Robert H. Vance (1825–1876). Full plate daguerreotype. Photo: musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN – Grand Palais  image musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

Emir Abd el-Kader. Photo: musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN – Grand Palais  image musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

Mostapha Ahmed (aged 21). Photo: musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN – Grand Palais  image musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

Native of Urcos. Scientific Expedition, Peru, 1864 by Émile Colpaërt (active 1858 – 1870). Photo: musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN – Grand Palais / image musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

Portrait of a Woman, Madagascar. Photo: musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Dist. RMN – Grand Palais  image musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

View of the Viceroy of Egypt’s Palace. Photo: Bibliothèque nationale de France Société de géographie

May 18 is International Museum Day. To celebrate the occasion, museums around the world have waived their entry fees and that includes several in the UAE.

According to the Dubai Media Office, museums across the emirate will be free on Saturday including Etihad Museum, Dubai Museum and the Al Shindagha Museum – which recently unveiled its first phase back in March.

The Etihad Museum in Jumeirah is currently hosting the Founding Fathers Exhibition which reveals rare photos taken by the UAE's 'royal photographer' Ramesh Shukla.

For a more hands-on experience, head to the Dubai Museum, located in the Al Fahidi Fort, to see a showcase the city's history and heritage. Or visit the Al Shindagha Museum on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek and check out the Perfume House and 'The Dubai Creek: Birth of a City' pavilion which are now open for visitors.

The timings for all three museums are 10am to 5pm during Ramadan.

While Louvre Abu Dhabi hasn't waived its admission fee of Dh63, it has announced it has extended hours for the day indicating it will stay open until 1am. Those keen on heading to the museum can experience the photography exhibition Photographs 1842-1896: An Early Album of the World which features more than 250 of the oldest images from around the world (see part of the exhibition in the gallery above).

The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation has also announced that it is offering visitors free entry throughout Ramadan in a bid to nurture cross-cultural dialogue and to promote a better understanding of Islam.

Part of Sharjah Museums Authority, the museum showcases over 5,000 collections representing different eras from across the Islamic world.  SMIC is open Saturday through Thursday from 9am to 2pm, and 9.30pm to  11.30pm, except for the last 10 days of Ramadan, where it will be open during day time only.

________________________

Read more:

Things to do in Abu Dhabi

Things to do in Dubai

________________________