The anchor is the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Picasso, the Figure, open until 31 May 2026. One of the most significant exhibitions in the region this year, it traces Pablo Picasso’s preoccupation with the human form through works drawn from the Musée National Picasso-Paris, the Musée du Louvre, regional collections, and the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi.

On 25 April at 7:00 PM, the museum’s auditorium screens Young Picasso, a documentary on the artist’s early development and the forces that shaped his visual language. Weekly Picasso-inspired after-school workshops run every Thursday, while Tuesday sessions invite visitors to discover the collection through sketching, and Wednesday workshops bring high school students in for dedicated drawing programmes. Families can join a travel journal and postcard design workshop on 18 and 19 April.

Running every Thursday and Saturday alongside the exhibition is Art in Scents, the Louvre’s immersive programme inviting visitors to experience the collection through fragrance, using a specially designed scent book as their guide.

At Manarat Al Saadiyat, the Art Studio carries a full calendar through April and May. Textile art masterclasses run on 20 April, 4 May, and 11 May. Clay workshops for children aged six to twelve are scheduled for 18 April and 23 May, with a mixed media session for three to five year olds on 26 April. The drop-in studio covering ceramics, painting, and printmaking is open daily for adults, teens, and younger children.

Cultural Foundation anchors its season around Shezad Dawood: Skin of Dreams, a mid-career retrospective running 9 April to 20 September. Alongside it, workshops in textile layering, pattern making, and collage run until 22 April. Arabic calligraphy sessions take place on Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays throughout April, Islamic geometric patterns on Tuesdays for ages twelve and up, and drawing, oil, acrylic, and pastel sessions on 15 and 22 April for those fourteen and older.

The new Saadiyat Cultural District Museum Pass covers the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. Full details at visitabudhabi.ae.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

At a glance

Louvre Abu Dhabi

• Picasso, the Figure – Exhibition, until 31 May

• Young Picasso – Documentary screening, 25 April, 7:00 PM

• Art in Scents Experience – Thursdays and Saturdays

• Picasso-Inspired Workshops (after school) – Every Thursday from April

• Discover the Collection and Let’s Sketch – Every Tuesday from April

• Special Drawing at the Museum (high school) – Every Wednesday from April

• Design Your Travel Journal or Postcard (family workshop) – 18 and 19 April

Manarat Al Saadiyat — Art Studio

• Textile Art Masterclass – 20 April, 4 and 11 May

• Young Artists: Clay (junior 6 – 12 years) – 18 April, 23 May

• Art Exploration: Mixed Media (children 3 – 5 years) – 26 April

• Adult & Teen Drop-In Studio – daily

• Children’s & Junior Drop-In Studio – daily

Cultural Foundation

• Shezad Dawood: Skin of Dreams – Exhibition, 9 April – 20 September

• Material Memory and Layered Landscapes (textile layering, pattern making, collage) – 9 April – 22 April

• Basics of Arabic Calligraphy – Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays throughout April

• Basics of Islamic Geometric Patterns (ages 12+) – Tuesdays throughout April

• Develop Your Artistic Skills (ages 14+, sketching, oil, acrylic, pastel) – 15 and 22 April