Newsday - Saudi Arabia stages its first grand opera - BBC Sounds

The first grand opera to be produced in Saudi Arabia has had its opening performance in Riyadh - part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious plans to shift the kingdom into a new social era.

Zarqa Al Yamama is the story of a blue-eyed tribal matriarch with the gift of foreseeing the future in pre-Islamic Arabia.

The Arabic libretto has been written by Saudi poet Saleh Zamanan, while the music is by Australian composer Lee Bradshaw. Mr Bradshaw told Newsday that it had been really well received by the opening night audience.