Ahmed Al Balooshi, Director of Security, Health and Safety at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, said that the museum “aims to be always the safest museum in the world, and has already succeeded in achieving this, has not seen any accidents or problems since its inauguration,” stressing that achieving this degree of security, health and safety in The place has many challenges, but “the team, in turn, has the ability to deal with these challenges and turn them into a catalyst for continuous business development.”

Al Baloushi, in an interview with Emirates Today, called on Emirati youth to specialize in the field of museum security as a new field in the country. There are large cultural projects that will be opened in the coming period in the country and will need graduates in this area, such as the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim Museum. Other similar disciplines, which are distinctive, modern and required, "especially as they bear the responsibility to protect the heritage for future generations." Cultural projects held in the country extends its impact for long periods of time and aims to preserve the Emirati and human heritage for future generations, and therefore represents the preservation of these institutions Integrity and development of the responsibility of everyone, not just employees.

Security guards for museums

Al Balushi also revealed a plan to strengthen the role of private security companies in museums through the creation of a new security category for museums and cultural buildings that need their own training, pointing out that this project, which is being worked on in cooperation with the competent government authorities, will be an important addition to the cultural field, because Provides security guards with the knowledge and experience to deal with art holdings.

He pointed out that his direction to obtain a master's degree in internal security and museum security from the Sorbonne in Paris, came at the direction of Lieutenant General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, after returning from France after obtaining a bachelor's degree in law in 2007, in conjunction with Signing an agreement to establish the Louvre Abu Dhabi between the UAE and France, after returning from France, he moved from the Ministry of Interior to the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi four years ago.

Opening challenges

Ahmed Al Balooshi said that he joined the team before the opening of the museum, which helped him to understand the building, because it is complex and has many entrances and exits, and his presence in the building is still under construction made it easy for him to know the details, pointing out Until the opening ceremony of the success witnessed by the whole world required coordination in advance with various internal and external, in order to prepare for the ceremony witnessed by many public figures, as well as to prepare to receive visitors two days after the official opening.

He added: «Naturally there are several challenges during the preparation for the opening, the most prominent of which was the lack of time, where we had to prepare the place to receive the opening ceremony and visitors within only two months of receiving the building, and we had to coordinate with several parties to receive the artifacts, which in itself "We have put in place specific procedures to secure the items on offer, to develop and implement internal procedures for visitors and staff, and to ensure that they are complied with."

Balance

On the difference between the work in the museums of France and the work in «Louvre Abu Dhabi», Al Balooshi pointed out that each place has its own nature and its particularity gained from the laws of the country and the nature of exhibits, as well as in terms of climate and public atmosphere and the prevailing culture in society and the nature of visitors, explaining that his current work more Difficult, because it deals with different cultures. He added: «One of the main objectives of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, to be a meeting place for civilizations and a bridge for the convergence of cultures, and brings together the world's civilizations in one place, and therefore welcomes the place to receive visitors from all over the world of different cultures».

Al Balooshi explained that the section he heads is divided into two parts, one related to security and is concerned with the security of property, belongings and exhibits, as well as the security of the building, workers and visitors, and the other concerned with health and safety and everything related to the health and safety of visitors, employees and contractors working on the site, pointing out that the section is applying laws Health and Safety in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi issued by the Abu Dhabi Center for Occupational Safety and Health. “As regards securing holdings, we participate in the design phase of temporary exhibition halls, give our opinion in terms of security, health and safety, and we seek to change the culture of exhibition designers and event organizers to be risk-based. "The risks that can occur and assess, and we make the process of securing the place everyone's responsibility."

Career

Ahmed Al Balooshi has been working with the museum team since 2016 and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of security, health and safety, whether related to archaeological collections or visitors to the museum. Al Balooshi works within the museum's technical operations department, where he develops and develops strategic plans and ensures that business continuity and post-emergency recovery plans are effective.

After high school, Al-Balooshi left for France to complete his university studies, where he obtained a law degree from the University of Rouen, and then joined the Sorbonne University to complete a master's degree in Homeland Security. He trained at France's prestigious museums and learned about best practices in the security of antiquities and the health and safety of visitors.

Special exercises

Ahmed Al Balushi revealed a plan to strengthen the role of private security companies in museums through the creation of a new security category for museums and cultural buildings that need their own training, pointing out that this project, which is working in cooperation with the competent government authorities, will be an important addition to the cultural field, because Provides security guards with the knowledge and experience to deal with art holdings.

- My current job is more difficult than the training period in Paris, because here we are dealing with different cultures.

- The security of museums is a new area in the country, and there are large cultural projects need graduates of citizens in this area.

- Cultural projects whose impact extends for long periods of time, aiming to preserve the Emirati and human heritage for future generations.