Live performances will return to the Royal Opera House Muscat from January 2022.
The stunning venue in the Omani capital has announced its 10th season with an eclectic programme encompassing contemporary and classical music, opera, dance and acrobatics.
In addition to popular music artists, such as Tunisia’s Saber Rebai and US jazz star Chris Botti, and companies such as the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus, the opera house will host the last production by Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019.
All shows will adhere to the health and safety guidelines in place. Some of the measures include entry only for those fully vaccinated, social distancing, temperature checks upon entry and the wearing of face masks in all public indoor and outdoor spaces at the venue.
With tickets now available online, here are five things you need to know about the Royal Opera House Muscat’s new season:
1. Arab pop stars are to shine
An eclectic array of Arabic artists will perform at the regal venue. Sounding the opening notes will be Saber Rebai. The Tunisian crooner will open the season with two concerts on Thursday and Friday, January 6 and 7.
For a classical twist on Arabic popular music, fans will get to enjoy two shows by Omar Khairat.
The Egyptian pianist is renowned for his emotive compositions that featured in a variety of hit Ramadan television dramas in the 1980s. He takes to the stage on Thursday and Friday, November 24 and 25.
Lebanese singer Melhem Zein will also return to Muscat. His muscular voice is inspired by Lebanon's folk music tradition and fans can expect an impactful gig featuring solo and classic hits.
He will perform on Thursday and Friday, May 19 and 20.
2. There will be an opera world premiere
Opera fans will be treated to a world premiere of Franco Zeffirelli's Rigoletto.
The final stage show by the Italian director, who died in 2019, is a lavish production of Giuseppe Verdi's masterpiece. It will feature Italy’s Arena di Verona orchestra and choir under the baton of British conductor Jan Latham-Koenig.
The opera, originally planned to be staged in December, will now be seen over three consecutive nights beginning on Thursday, January 20.
The production will be particularly poignant as the opera house announced itself to the world in 2011, with an opening-night production of Puccini's Turandot, also directed by Zeffirelli.
"The intrinsic synchronicity of celebrating our 10th anniversary season with a wonderful work by the same great director with whom we opened our first season, gives this moment a special significance," Royal Opera House Muscat director general Umberto Fanni tells The National.
"With Puccini's Turandot in 2011 we began a wonderful relationship and a journey full of hope for the Royal Opera House Muscat. Now, with Rigoletto, we mark the achievement of a decade of brilliant musical performances, with the anticipation of many more to come."
For those in search of a more musical experience, The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra will be on hand on Thursday, March 10, for an evening of masterpieces by 19th century Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti.
3. Classical and innovative dance shows
Passionate ballets are also on the Royal Opera House Muscat programme.
Key productions include the star-crossed tale of Anastasia, performed by The National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre from Belarus.
Beginning on Thursday, February 3, the production will run for three back-to-back nights. The performance programme will end in eye-popping fashion with Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe's retelling of the ballet masterpiece Swan Lake. The Chinese company will play the final three dates of the season, from Thursday to Saturday, May 26 to 28.
4. Omani culture on display
The Sultanate's rich cultural scene will also be displayed over two eclectic events.
On Friday and Saturday, February 11 and 12, Omani dancers will collaborate with international singers and musicians for a show dubbed Oman World Folk Music Festival. Each performance will feature a narrative thread exploring the traditions of Oman's various regions.
During Ramadan, two Omani ensembles will perform songs of praise in separate concerts. On Thursday, April 7, the Areej Ensemble of Oman will be joined by Syria’s Sheikh Hamed Dawood Group and the Whirling Dervishes of Damascus.
On Thursday, April 21, Al Zawya Band of Oman and Egypt's Monshed Masr will perform an evening of devotional songs called nasheeds.
5. All that jazz
Two masters of their respective genres will also grace the stage of the Royal Opera House Muscat.
US jazz star, the trumpeter Chris Botti, will bring his Grammy Award-winning fusion of contemporary jazz and popular music for two shows on Thursday and Friday, January 27 and 28.
And if you haven't yet had the opportunity to hear the soulful sound of Fado music from Portugal, Carminho is the perfect way to start. The singer and her band will channel the passion and melancholy of the music form for one night on Saturday, February 26.
More details on performances and tickets for the Royal Opera House Muscat’s 2022 season are at rohmuscat.org.om
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
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Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
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The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
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- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Lexus LX700h specs
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Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
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63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
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Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
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