Louvre Abu Dhabi opens Spices and Wonders, on the Indian Ocean trade routes, on 14 October
The exhibition, made with the Guimet museum in Paris, follows spices, textiles and ceramics across the Indian Ocean from antiquity to the 17th century. It runs until 14 February 2027.
Louvre Abu Dhabi opens "Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean" on Wednesday 14 October. It is the museum's main autumn exhibition and runs until 14 February 2027.
Organised with the Guimet, France's National Museum of Asian Arts, it follows the sea routes that linked Africa, the Middle East, Europe, South Asia and Southeast Asia from antiquity to the 17th century. Spices, textiles, ceramics and other cargo show how navigation and trade turned the Indian Ocean into a meeting place of cultures. After Abu Dhabi, a second edition travels to the Guimet in Paris from 12 May to 6 September 2027.
It is the first of the museum's big shows this season: Art Here 2026 and the Richard Mille Art Prize follow on 11 November, and Living Legacies, on protecting heritage in fragile places, on 23 November.
The exhibition is on Saadiyat Island and is included in museum entry, which is booked on louvreabudhabi.ae; the museum is closed on Mondays. You have four months, so a weekday morning is the quietest time to go.
