Louvre Abu Dhabi Director Leaves to Become Director of Indian Museum
Louvre Abu Dhabi leader Manuel Rabaté appointed chief executive and director of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art as its new flagship campus takes shape.
Manuel Rabaté, the long-serving director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, is stepping down to take on a new role as chief executive and director of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Delhi, India, marking a major leadership shift in the global arts and culture sector.
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Rabaté, who has led Louvre Abu Dhabi since 2016, including the museum’s acclaimed opening in 2017, will relocate to India in early spring 2026 to head the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) as it prepares to open a transformative new cultural space.
The expanded KNMA campus, designed by renowned architect Sir David Adjaye, will span over one million square feet on the National Highway (NH8) in Delhi, making it the largest museum and cultural centre in South Asia once completed in the coming years.
The new multidisciplinary institution aims to house temporary galleries, performance spaces, and a rotation of works drawn from a collection of more than 16,000 South Asian artworks, featuring modernist and contemporary masters as well as expanding into classical, folk, and tribal art.
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Kiran Nadar, the museum’s founder and chairwoman, praised Rabaté as “one of the international art world’s most experienced and respected leaders” whose vision and expertise will help realise the KNMA’s ambition of global cultural significance.
Under Rabaté’s decade-long leadership, Louvre Abu Dhabi has welcomed millions of visitors and established itself as a major cultural hub in the region, with a strong focus on education, international partnerships, and ambitious exhibitions that span global artistic traditions.
His tenure at Louvre Abu Dhabi has included earlier roles in museum leadership and cultural strategy in France, and he holds honors including France’s National Order of Merit and the Order of Arts and Letters.
The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art was founded in 2010 and has played a key role in championing modern and contemporary South Asian art. The expanded campus is expected to significantly broaden its programming to encompass visual and performing arts, education, and community engagement on a larger scale.
As Rabaté prepares to begin his tenure in Delhi, the move signals both a milestone for India’s cultural sector and a continuation of his impact on the global museum landscape.