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The painting of Christ — the title means \"Savior of the world\" — is believed to have been painted sometime after 1505 and is the only Leonardo work thought to be privately owned.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is the largest art museum in the Arabian Peninsula and one of the world’s newest, having opened its doors on Nov. 8.

When the painting was sold at Christie's auction house in New York last month, both the seller and buyer of the painting were kept anonymous.

But the New York Times reported Thursday that the painting's owner is Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family.

\"PHOTO:
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP FILE
PHOTO: Leonardo da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi" is seen on display at Christie's auction rooms in London on Oct. 24, 2017.
>

According to the New York Times, the prince is a \"friend and associate\" of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the 32-year-old crown prince and heir apparent to the Saudi throne who recently led a purge against corruption in the kingdom.

Christie's confirmed in a tweet that the Louvre Abu Dhabi would be the painting's new home.

\"PHOTO:
Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images
PHOTO: An Ethiad A380 flies over the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum designed by French architect Jean Nouvel on Nov. 11, 2017, during its official opening to public on Saadiyat island in the Emirati capital.
>

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that al-Saud had been a “proxy” buyer for bin Salman himself, citing U.S. government intelligence and a Saudi art-world figure familiar with the purchase.

Christie's would not confirm the identity of the painting's owner to ABC News, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment on the matter.

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