The Saudi Music Commission, the Royal Diriyah Opera House, and the Metropolitan Opera (Met) signed an agreement aimed at establishing the Met Opera as the winter resident company at the new opera house once it opens.
The collaboration is part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the commission and the Met, under which the Met will travel to Riyadh each winter for five years to stage full operas and concerts over three-week periods.
The MoU also includes a commitment to training promising Saudi talent, including opera singers and theater artisans, to nurture their skills, foster creative excellence, and support career development in the operatic arts. The collaboration also envisions the production of a new global opera.
“At the Saudi Music Commission, we are committed to empowering talent, providing them with the skills, platforms, and global exposure they need to flourish,” the Met quoted commission Chief Executive Paul Pacifico as saying.
He stated that this collaboration goes beyond cultural exchange; it opens new pathways for connection, allows sharing Saudi stories through music, and contributes to enriching the global cultural landscape.
Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb stressed cultural exchange between nations as “essential on a human level,” noting that the collaboration presents a significant opportunity for advancing the Met’s mission.
The agreement reflects the Music Commission’s commitment to expanding artistic cooperation with leading international institutions, strengthening cultural dialogue through music, and fostering professional growth for local talent. It also aligns with the National Culture Strategy, under the umbrella of Saudi Vision 2030, which emphasizes international cultural exchange as a key goal.
Diriyah Company Group chief executive Jerry Inzerillo highlighted the anticipated opening of the Royal Diriyah Opera House as “a landmark moment in the Kingdom’s cultural journey and a testament to our commitment to making Diriyah a global destination for arts and culture.”
He added that the partnership “reflects our vision of building bridges of cultural exchange and offers Saudi talent a world stage to shine and create,” the Met reported.
The Royal Diriyah Opera House is one of the Kingdom’s most prominent cultural landmark projects. It will be constructed with a design inspired by traditional Najdi architecture. The opera house will form a key component of the Diriyah giga project, a large-scale development spanning more than 14 square kilometers.
The project will also include other iconic assets, including a 20,000-seat Diriyah Arena, a collection of museums, more than 40 hotels and resorts operated by world-renowned brands, and over 20,000 residential units.
