Louvre Abu Dhabi welcomes visitors again with new safety measures
The Louvre Abu Dhabi is located in the Saadiyat Island Cultural District. (SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO)


The Louvre Abu Dhabi reopened Wednesday, more than three months after the art museum was closed under measures imposed by the United Arab Emirates to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Visitors to the museum must book online ahead of time and will be allocated an arrival time. They will be allowed to spend three hours inside the museum and must wear face masks and gloves.

They will also depend on a mobile phone application for information on the artworks, as paper guides will not be available.

An Emirati journalist writes next to the Bather, also called Venus statue by Christophe-Gabriel Allegrain, 1710-1795, at the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 19, 2017. (AP PHOTO)
Abu Dhabi's Culture and Tourism Authority has said that the number of visitors at any one time must not exceed 40% of a museum's total capacity.

The UAE's capital has been easing restrictions in recent weeks, though a ban on entering or leaving the emirate will remain in place until at least June 29.

Tourists are still not allowed to visit Abu Dhabi, although neighbor Dubai has announced it will start receiving visitors from July 7.

The UAE has recorded more than 45,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 305 related deaths.