Manama: Saudi Arabia is to build its first opera house as part of an impressive drive to boost entertainment programmes.
General Entertainment Authority President Ahmad Bin Aqeel Al Khateeb gave no further details about the opera, but said that 5,000 events and live entertainment activities had been lined up for 2018.
They include 500 entertainment events in small towns and cities across the vast kingdom, he said as the Authority on Thursday announced its calendar for this year.
The Authority, at the conference in the capital Riyadh, said that the events covered arts, culture, music, education through entertainment and festivals for families, youth and children, Saudi news site Sabq reported.
The Authority said the planning of the calendar of 2018 local and international events in Saudi Arabia had taken into consideration various criteria and standards to ensure diversity and high quality of activities would suit the interests of all segments and categories of the society.
The Authority, one of the entities supporting the Quality of Life Vision Realisation Program, aims at setting goals and drawing strategies that contribute to the development of the entertainment industry in Saudi Arabia.
It focuses on diversifying investment opportunities and creating a diverse and sustainable sector, in addition to helping achieve the Vision 2030 goals through the significant contribution of the entertainment sector to the economy and its positive impact on economic diversification and the gross domestic product (GDP) annually.
