One of the pillars of the strategic alliance between the UAE and France is culture since both nations value the role that culture plays in fostering intercultural understanding and the values of tolerance.
The founding leader of the United Arab Emirates, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, started cultural cooperation between the two nations at the time of the UAE’s founding. As a result, the Lycée Louis Massignon in Abu Dhabi opened its doors in 1972, and the Alliance Française Abu Dhabi opened its doors in 1974.
The cultural alliance has completed numerous significant projects over the past 50 years that promote communication and collaboration between the two nations in the fields of culture and education. The Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi was founded in 2006.
In order to establish a university campus in Abu Dhabi that will provide specialised academic programmes leading to bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as other continuing education opportunities, the Sorbonne University in Paris and Pierre and Marie Curie University struck an agreement.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum, the first international museum in the Arab world and the largest French cultural achievement overseas, is one of the major cultural initiatives aimed at fostering cultural exchanges between the UAE and France.
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan stated that the museum’s opening in 2017 marked an important turning point in the longstanding relationships between the two nations.
The Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Hall at the Louvre Museum in Paris was inaugurated in 2017, and the UAE also donated €5 million to help the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. The Palace of Fontainebleau in France received a €10 million donation from the UAE.
2018’s UAE-France Cultural Dialogue provided a rare chance to support numerous initiatives, projects, and programmes and to have important discussions about subjects including art, artificial intelligence, and preserving cultural heritage in jeopardy.
The United Arab Emirates joined the International Organization of Francophonie as an affiliate member in December 2018. More than 8,000 Emirati pupils have learned French since the decision to reinstate the teaching of the language in public schools at the start of the 2019–2020 academic year.