France struck a blow in the battle for influence in the Middle East today as it unveiled the Louvre’s €1 billion outpost in Abu Dhabi. The project, which will open to the public on November 11, is being hailed as the Arab world’s first universal museum and an instrument of French soft power.

The Vietnam Circus Federation will co-ordinate with the Happy Dream Circus Company from Japan to present a daily show in Ha Noi. The event is expected to enhance cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the two peoples, contributing to tightening the co-operation between circus artists from Vietnam and Japan, said Ta Duy Anh, director of the Vietnam Circus Federation.

Rouble Nagi Art Foundation and Kaneka Sabharwal are teaming up to showcase a first of its kind art initiative supported by the Government Of India, welcoming international contemporary artists and connecting creative enthusiasts from India and Bahrain through an unparalleled exchange programme of artist interventions.

A new museum, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Art, is [...] providing a platform for artists and scholars to exchange ideas and promote cultural dialogue between voices in the United States and Arab and Islamic countries.