With the participation of 13 countries, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) launched, jointly with the Katara Cultural Village Foundation, the first Arab Opera Festival, held in Doha, Qatar, on December 8-11, 2025. This Festival was launched following Katara’s designation by ALECSO as “Arab Opera City”.

The launch event was attended by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, and H.E. Dr. Khalid Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara Cultural Village Foundation. 

Egypt was the Guest of Honor in this event during which the great Egyptian composer Omar Khairat was honored.  The choice of Egypt as Guest of Honor was driven by the historic prominence of the Egyptian Opera House, the oldest in the Arab world, established in 1869 as the Khedivial Opera House. It remained a cultural beacon for more than a century until it suffered a major fire in 1971, before being reopened in October 1988.

The Festival featured a diverse artistic program, including musical and opera performances, with the participation of the Cairo Opera Orchestra and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Festival hosted the Second Meeting of Directors of Opera Houses and Theatres, to follow up on the outcomes of the first meeting organized by Katara in December 2024. The agenda included the launch of the Arab Opera Houses portal, an interactive platform designed to make Arab opera programs available to audiences throughout the year.