While on a visit to Reem Island the other day, I espied a strange structure sitting at the edge of Saadiyat Island near the new bridge that connects to Mina Zayed.

It is white and slightly pyramid-like in its shape. Of course, I assumed a UFO had landed in preparation for a larger mysterious purpose.

I was quite worried, but my fears were assuaged by the ladies on the PR team of the Tourism Development & Investment Company. The structure is, in fact, a mock-up of a section of the dome that will cover the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum. If you look closely at the top, you can see the test section of the roof with irregular holes that will light the inside up in dramatic fashion.

"Mock-up works for a full-sized section of the dome are underway," TDIC said in a statement. "Stage one, which includes the structural framing, has been completed; and stage two, which includes the cladding of the dome, is almost complete."