The project in question is a plan to build an entire cultural district in Abu Dhabi, including a futuristic arts center and a branch of France's Louvre Museum that will consist of a huge, white dome riddled with skylights over a network of man-made islands on the edge of the Persian Gulf.

NPR: Black Gold Finances the Dreams for Abu Dhabi

Nevertheless, the Louvre successfully ties Islam to glorious achievements, effectively injecting art into the debate surrounding France's growing Muslim population and fear of Islamic fundamentalism.

WSJ: Islamic Art at the Louvre | By Lee Lawrence

He also leaves the legacy of the newly opened Department of Islamic Art, together with a branch of the Louvre in the industrial city of Lens, designed to bring culture and tourism to one of France's poorest areas.

BBC: Louvre appoints Jean-Luc Martinez as new director