Saudi Arabia’s first opera house is part of $64bn investment in entertainment
Saudi Arabia announced yesterday that ground has been broken for the construction of the country’s first opera house.
The General Entertainment Authority chief, Ahmad bin Aqeel Al Khatib, said that $64 billion (Dh235bn) would be invested in the kingdom’s entertainment sector over the coming decade as part a largescale programme of social and economic reforms.
“We are already building the infrastructure,” Mr Khatib said. “God willing, you will see a real change by 2020.”
The money will come from the government and the private sector and the authority said earlier this week that more than 5,000 events were planned for this year.
The opening up of new entertainment options in the conservative kingdom is part of a programme of reforms dubbed Vision 2030 – a move championed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In the eastern city of Dhahran, the long-awaited King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, or Ithra, is set to be fully functional by the summer. The futuristic building will host a touring exhibition and four galleries.
Meanwhile concerts, the popular Comic-Con festival and a mixed-gender national day celebration had people dancing in the streets to thumping electronic music for the first time. The port city of Jeddah is regarded as the kingdom’s main art hub. Situated on the Red Sea, and the primary port of entry for Makkah and Madinah, it has been shaped by the flow of pilgrims and immigrants from nearby countries.
Despite the restrictions that have been in place, numerous self-organised collectives, commercial art galleries and studios have been established in Jeddah.
Young artists work across media – blurring the boundaries of art, design, fashion and film, just as opera does in its engagement with theatre, music, set design, and mixed media.
As Prince Mohammed’s reforms continue, the art landscape of Jeddah and the country is expected to welcome more permanent institutions, both in the visual arts and, as we see for the performing arts, opera houses or even dance studios and theatres.