The Metropolitan Opera, a stalwart of New York’s cultural life, has struck a deal with Saudi Arabia aimed at easing the company’s worst financial strains in more than a century.
Under the agreement, the Met will stage three weeks of performances in Saudi Arabia annually for five years, starting in February 2028.
The Met will also provide training to aspiring Saudi opera singers, composers, directors, designers, theatre artisans and technicians. The collaboration will also include the commissioning of a new opera.
The arrangement is expected to generate millions for the New York-based company whose annual budget surpasses $300 million.
The Met's general manager Peter Gelb told The National the deal reflects the financial challenges facing the company and Saudi Arabia’s ambition to expand its cultural footprint.
In the US, Washington allocates about $150 million annually to the arts, less than half the Met’s operating budget. Of that, the Met receives only about $100,000, leaving the company to rely heavily on private donations and ticket revenue.
“In America, the system of funding non-profit performing arts companies is very different than in Europe, where governments typically pay a significant portion of the costs,” Mr Gelb said. “The Met is the largest performing arts organisation in the United States, but unlike peers such as the Paris Opera or La Scala [Milan], we receive almost no government support.”
Opera, he added, is “the most expensive of all performing arts” because it requires a full-time orchestra, singers and dancers.
While the Met raises more than any other US non-profit arts group, Mr Gelb said donations alone are no longer sufficient to sustain it, particularly since the pandemic drove up costs.
Mr Gelb said the Saudi government has been reaching out to cultural institutions in the West as part of its broader push to enhance lifestyle offerings and prepare for the opening of a new opera house in Riyadh in 2028.
He described the agreement as “mutually beneficial”, allowing the Met to perform in the kingdom and help train Saudi talent.
When asked why he did not approach the wealthiest US individuals, Mr Gelb said the arts are “less of a priority in their philanthropy”.
“For a triple-digit billionaire like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, it would be very easy for them if they wish to support the Met to solve all of our financial challenges. But so far that has not been the case.”
Mr Gelb said he welcomed Riyadh’s willingness to back the arts at a time when philanthropic priorities in the US are shifting.
“Today, more than ever, the arts represent a very important part of society,” he said. “I’m glad that Saudi Arabia agrees with that.”
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