The American Metropolitan Opera has announced that Saudi Arabia has cancelled the planned agreement between them, which had stipulated:

✅ Full opera performances for three weeks each year, over five years.

✅ In return, the opera house would receive $200 million, i.e. $40 million annually.

The cancellation is attributed to a severe financial crisis facing Saudi Arabia and a noticeable decline in its spending capacity.

Saudi Arabia had aimed to “polish its image” and improve its reputation through opera performances in Diriyah, Riyadh, but its current financial constraints have prevented this.