Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Institute of the Arab World (IMA) was created by a diplomatic initiative aimed at strengthening links between France and the Arab countries. His project was launched under the presidency of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1974–1981), but his realization was part of the major works of François Mitterrand, who inaugurated it on 30 November 1987. The building, designed by a collective of architects including Jean Nouvel, symbolizes a synthesis between Arab and Western cultures, with a south facade adorned with 240 mucharabiehs inspired by Islamic geometry.

The establishment of IMA is based on a private foundation recognized as a public utility, co-financed by France and 22 Arab States members of the Arab League (Algeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, etc.). The founding act was signed on 28 February 1980 by the ambassadors of those countries, followed by the accession of Libya (1988), Egypt and Palestine (1989). The building, awarded by the Silver Square (1987) and an Aga Khan Prize, houses a major library, a permanent museum and temporary exhibitions.

It is distinguished by its cultural and educational mission: its museum explores Arab art from ancient times to the present, while its library, reopened in 2017 after renovation, offers 150,000 works in Arabic and European languages. In 2016, an antenna opened in Tourcoing, becoming autonomous under the name IMA-Tourcoing. The institute also organizes festivals such as the Arabofolies (since 2019) and awards the Prize for Arab Literature since 2013.

The governance of IMA has been turbulent, notably with the resignation of Jack Lang in 2026 (involving in a scandal related to Jeffrey Epstein), replaced by Anne-Claire Legendre, the first woman to preside over the institution. Despite a structural deficit of €12 million per year, IMA remains a key player in the Euro-Arab dialogue, with more than one million visitors in 2014.

Its architecture, originally designed to regulate light via automatic diaphragms, had to be adapted due to technical failures. The mucharabiehs are now opening up to time changes. The building, expensive for maintenance (3 million euros/year), nevertheless embodies an aesthetic and symbolic success, often compared to the Arab Beaubourg.

Temporary exhibitions, such as Les Mille et Une Nuits (2012–2013) or Habibi, the revolutions of love (2022–2023), attract a diverse audience. IMA also develops language programs (CIMA certification in Arabic) and international partnerships, such as with the Library Alexandrina for a digital library.

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