Since 2016, Manuel Rabaté has been the first Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi. He oversees all aspects of the first universal museum in the Arab world’s operations and activity, welcoming more than 5.5 million visitors since its opening in 2017 and making it one of the most visited museum worldwide.Rabaté leads the development of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s local, regional and international networks, including Agence France-Muséums and numerous French partners, to present a roster of landmark exhibitions, including Furusiyya: The Art of Chivalry between East and West (2020), 10,000 Years of Luxury (2019), Photographs: An Early Album of the World (2019), Rembrandt, Vermeer & the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from The Leiden Collection and the Musée du Louvre (2019), Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia (2018-19), Japanese Connections: The Birth of Modern Décor (2018), Globes: Visions of the World (2018), Co-Lab: Contemporary Art and Savoir-Faire (2018), and From One Louvre to Another: Opening a Museum for Everyone (2017-18). In addition, he contributes to building the museum’s growing collection and the creation of its conservation and documentation centre. Rabaté’s mandate includes training the new generation of Emirati museum professionals and cultural leaders and attracting incredibly diverse audiences in a globalized city.He has worked on Louvre Abu Dhabi since its inception, joining Agence France-Muséums a year after the signature of the intergovernmental agreement between France and Abu Dhabi, first as CFO, then Secretary General and CEO (2008-2016); then working for the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Previously, Rabaté was Deputy Director of Cultural Development (2005-2008) of musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac for its opening, managing the launch of the museum’s first traveling exhibitions, including Masques - Beauté des Esprits at the Bahrain National Museum. He was Deputy Director of the auditorium of musée du Louvre (2002-2006), where he participated in developing new programmes accompanying the creation of the Islamic Art department.Rabaté chaired the think-tank Culture & Management, and taught Arts & Cultural Management at Paris-Dauphine University and Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. He is a graduate of HEC business school (2001) and Sciences Po (1998), where he was President of the Lettres perçantes society. He is a Knight of France’s National Order of Merit and of Arts and Letters Order.