Diriyah awards opera house contract to Saudi-Chinese JV

Diriyah Company has awarded a more than SAR5 billion ($1.4 billion) construction contract to a Saudi-Chinese joint venture to build the Royal Diriyah Opera House and surrounding assets.

The joint venture partners include Saudi Arabia-based El Seif Engineering Contracting and Midmac Construction, and China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

The opera house will be Diriyah’s flagship performing arts venue with a seating capacity for 2,000 people.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to welcome the world’s leading operatic and artistic talent in the future,” said Khalid Alhazani of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, which will manage the opera house.

The opera house will also include a 450-seat studio theatre, a shaded rooftop amphitheater with 450 seats and multipurpose halls, taking the total seating capacity to 3,100.

The contract also covers the construction of additional assets in the opera house district, including one of Diriyah’s 5-star hotels and a mixed-use residential complex. No project details were shared.

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The Royal Diriyah Opera House has been designed by Norwegian architect Snøhetta.  

This year, the Public Investment Fund-backed developer launched a media and innovation district, awarded a $113.6 million architecture and design contract for buildings around Diriyah’s main avenue and launched the kingdom’s first Armani branded residences.

Diriyah will be home for almost 100,000 residents, create 178,000 jobs, attract 50 million annual visits, and contribute $19 billion directly to Saudi Arabia’s GDP.