Souraya Noujaim, new director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi. (Credit: Photo provided by the museum.)
At Louvre Abu Dhabi, Souraya Noujaim is returning to familiar ground. Appointed to lead the museum on Oct. 7 by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism, the Lebanese specialist in Islamic art is returning to an institution whose collections and scientific project she helped shape. She succeeds Manuel Rabaté, who oversaw the museum’s opening in November 2017 before joining the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in New Delhi this year.
Her return comes as the museum approaches its 10th anniversary in 2027. Under the Jean Nouvel-designed dome, the institution has welcomed more than eight million visitors and organized 22 temporary exhibitions since opening. Above all, its own collection has grown significantly: nearly two-thirds of the works currently on display belong to the museum, compared with about 30% at the beginning, when loans from French museums and regional institutions dominated the galleries. This evolution gives particular significance to the choice of a director experienced in acquisitions and research.
Born in Lebanon in 1967, Souraya Noujaim holds a doctorate in the history and archaeology of the medieval worlds from Paris Nanterre University and graduated from the École du Louvre. Her career has included positions at the Louvre, the British Museum, where she worked on Arabic epigraphy and numismatics, and the Institut du Monde Arabe. In 2013, she joined France Muséums to contribute to the scientific development of the future Emirati museum. From February 2018 to 2023, she served as its first scientific director, overseeing conservation and collections.
In this role, she oversaw acquisitions, temporary exhibitions and scientific partnerships. She also defined the museum’s research policy, supervised the creation of its laboratory and developed training programs for museum professionals. Her role in launching Art Here and the Richard Mille Art Prize reflects an interest in contemporary art beyond her medieval specialty. In 2023, she became head of the Islamic Art Department at the Louvre in Paris, as well as head of the corresponding national heritage department.
"Louvre Abu Dhabi occupies a special place in my professional and personal journey," she said in the statement announcing her appointment. She intends to enrich the collection, deepen connections with audiences and make the arts more accessible. Her new responsibilities cover exhibitions, conservation, research, education and the institution’s strategy.
The choice of Souraya Noujaim thus ensures continuity for the museum’s scientific project. As an Emirati institution under the supervision of the Department of Culture and Tourism, Louvre Abu Dhabi enters its second decade with a strengthened collection. It is now up to its new director to bring this universal ambition to life in its galleries, close to the works and their visitors.