THE LOUVRE OF THE ARAB WORLD?

How much does it cost to rent the Louvre's name? $520 million for 30 years, apparently. That's how much the Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is paying.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is scheduled to open in 2012 as part of a "tourist and cultural development" on Saadiyat Island and will be overseen by the International Agency for French Museums.

In addition to the $520 million price tag put on the museum's name, Abu Dhabi has also agreed to donate$32.5 million to help refurbish a wing of the original Louvre in Paris. France will also rotate hundreds of pieces of art through the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and offer "management expertise" to the new museum.

Though leaders from both France and Abu Dhabi seem hopeful about this new relationship, many French traditionalists critique their government for "selling" its museums.

To read the article in its entirety, please go to The Louvre's Art: Priceless. The Louvre's Name: Expensive.