Doha: The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) has announced the selection of the Katara Cultural Village Foundation as the“Arab Opera City” in a ceremony held yesterday at its headquarters in Tunisia.

The ceremony was attended by Director General of the Katara Cultural Village Foundation H E Prof. Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti; Director General of ALECSO H E Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar; Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Tunisia H E Zayed bin Saeed Al Kumait Al Khayarin; and a number of Their Excellencies the Ambassadors of Arab countries in Tunisia.

This honour bestowed upon the Katara Cultural Village Foundation is an Arab and international recognition of its pioneering role in supporting Arab opera music and enhancing its presence on the regional and international stage.

On this occasion, Professor Dr. Al-Sulaiti expressed his pride in this selection, saying:“The selection of Katara as the Arab Opera City is an honor for the Foundation's efforts in supporting musical creativity and preserving Arab cultural identity.

"We consider this title a new responsibility that motivates us to continue working on presenting Arab operatic works that reflect the beauty of our language and culture, and contribute to enhancing the Arab artistic scene globally.”

He added that Katara will organise the first Arab Opera Festival from December 8 to 11, in cooperation with ALECSO, with the participation of 13 Arab opera houses, in addition to a selection of Arab artists and creators.

The Cairo Opera House was chosen as the guest of honour for the festival's first edition, as it is the oldest Arab opera house.

He confirmed that the festival will include numerous events, among them an opening ceremony honouring the renowned Arab composer Omar Khairat, in addition to musical and operatic performances featuring the Cairo Opera Orchestra and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

An online platform will also be launched for Arab opera houses, enabling those interested in opera to access the programs of each Arab opera house throughout the year.

The festival will also include workshops introducing the art of operatic singing and performance techniques, as well as the unveiling of a model of Katara, the Arab Opera City.

MENAFN27112025000063011010ID1110404275