The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) held, on December 9-10, 2024, in Qatar, in collaboration with the Cultural Village Foundation - Katara, the first meeting of Opera Houses in the Arab world. The event aimed to enhance cooperation and coordination and exchange experience and expertise among Arab countries in the field of Opera.
The meeting, which brought together representatives from Opera houses along with Opera artists and enthusiasts from across the Arab world, was designed to provide a platform for :
- Showcasing and sharing Arab countries' experiences in terms of Opera production and Opera house management;
- Developing strategies to promote Opera and raise public awareness about its importance;
- Reducing the knowledge gap through workshops and training courses;
- Establishing a network of Opera houses to enhance collaboration in production and performance.
The meeting addressed several key issues, including:
- The challenges faced by Arab Opera houses, especially in relation to funding, facilities, and human resources;
- Strategies for Opera marketing to attract more audiences;
- Ways to gain support from governments and official bodies for the promotion of Opera art;
- Joint Arab projects to strengthen artistic production.
Addressing the meeting on behalf of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, Dr. Humaid Al-Nofali, Director of Culture, stressed that this first Arab Opera Houses meeting constitutes a significant step toward strengthening art and culture in the Arab world, and opening new prospects for artistic collaboration. Regular meetings, he added, would be held in the future to follow up on progress in developing the Opera art in the Arab region.
