The final piece of the jigsaw is now in place, with construction workers having completed the iconic outer dome of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The last section of the complex museum roof was recently lifted into place, the UAE’s state news agency WAM reported.

Jean Nouvel, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect who designed the structure, was present as the final piece of cladding was installed, the agency said.

Senior officials of Abu Dhabi’s master-planner Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) were also in attendance.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi, set to open in late 2016, is the first museum to be constructed at the Saadiyat Cultural District.

Construction has involved more than 30 million man hours on the site, it was reported.

The roof, designed to produce a “rain of light” effect when the sun shines above, is made up of eight layers of cladding consisting of 7,850 star-shaped pieces of aluminium and stainless steel. The largest measures 13 metres in diameter and weighs 1.3 tonnes.

“We are very proud of the progress that has been achieved on the site of the Louvre Abu Dhabi today, and it is remarkable to see Jean Nouvel’s design come to life,” said Ali Majed Al Mansoori, Chairman of the TDIC.

“Almost a year and a half ago, the construction team was placing the first super-sized element of the dome structure, and today we are completing the outer dome cladding. This is testament to the advanced techniques used to execute one of the museum’s most challenging iconic architectural features.”

Construction work was awarded in 2013 to a joint venture between Arabtec, Constructora San Jose SA, and Oger Abu Dhabi.