Abu Dhabi, Nov 10 (IANS/WAM): Louvre Abu Dhabi celebrated its first anniversary on Saturday and announced that it welcomed over one million visitors in its first year, establishing itself as one of the leading cultural institutions on the global stage.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, said: "One year ago we spoke about Louvre Abu Dhabi as Abu Dhabi's gift to the world and today we are proud to have shared it with more than one million visitors already.

"Louvre Abu Dhabi has become an icon and a favourite destination both for our local communities and visitors to the city."

UAE residents represent 40 per cent of the museum's total number of visitors. Louvre Abu Dhabi has also become a global magnet for international visitors who account for 60 per cent of visits, said Al Mubarak. He said that visitors to Louvre Abu Dhabi come from all parts of the globe, including the Middle East, Europe and Asia, with France, Germany, China, UK, the US, India and GCC being the top visitors.

Overall, India is the top nationality of visitors, the official said. Since its opening on 11 November, 2017, in partnership with French museum partners and as part of its first season "A World of Exchanges", Louvre Abu Dhabi presented four international exhibitions.