Jean Nouvel's masterpiece opened in 2017 under what he called a "rain of light" — a vast latticed dome that scatters the desert sun across a cluster of white pavilions, half indoor museum and half outdoor plaza. The dome itself is the building you have come to see; some visitors are happy to wander beneath it without buying a gallery ticket.
Inside, the collection is grouped thematically rather than by culture or period: a Yemeni statue might sit next to a Renaissance virgin and a Tang dynasty bowl, all on the theme of motherhood. It is a small museum by Louvre standards but the loans that rotate through from the Louvre, Pompidou, and Orsay under the 30-year French partnership are first-rate. Allow three hours.