58

This article compares two bilateral and intergovernmental agreements on cultural cooperation (decree n°2008-879 and decree n°2018-861) in order to understand the circulation of expertise in the Arab-Persian Gulf region with the agency model. Indeed, the creation of the two agencies supporting the implementation of the two projects (Abu Dhabi 2030 and Saudi Vision 2030)—the Agence France Muséums (AFM) in Abu Dhabi and the Agence Française pour le Développement d’Al Ula in the governorate of Al Ula in Saudi Arabia—is an integral part of the internationalization of the Louvre Museum in the United Arab Emirates and of culture in Saudi Arabia. Understanding how they work should shed light on the links (human, legislative, financial) involved in the realization of the projects, with a focus on the communication around these projects. The method is based on interviews with the management of the Louvre Museum, quantitative research using Google Trends to report on the way the media communicate on these two decrees, and a lexicometric analysis using Iramuteq software. Its objective is to reveal the common (or otherwise) recurrences between the two decrees, published ten years apart (2008 and 2018).