The opening ceremony featured the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra – which was founded in 1842 and is considered one of the world’s greatest orchestras – performing its first concert in Egypt since 1950.

The 80-year-old world-renowned maestro Riccardo Muti conducted the orchestra.

The ceremony was attended by a number of ministers, foreign ambassadors, public figures, intellectuals and media representatives.

Inaugurating such a giant artistic edifice in the NAC, with the participation of internationally recognised musicians, reflects the essence of the government's project to promote Egyptian civilization, Madbouly said.

The premier noted that the project is not just about a building, but is about making sure Egypt continues to be a beacon of arts, culture and creativity in the region and across the world.

The Arts and Culture City, which is built on 127 feddans, includes theatres, cinemas, libraries and museums.

The new Concert Hall at the Opera House was built according to the highest international technical and artistic standards, as part of the government’s strategy to provide high-level concerts to Egyptian, regional and international audiences, the statement read.

The Arts and Culture City seeks to be self-financed through partnerships with relevant local, regional and global institutions, according to the cabinet.

The 700-square-kilometre NAC, located 60km from Cairo in the area between the Cairo-Suez and Cairo-Ain Sokhna roads, was launched in 2015 by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and is set to house 6.5 million people.

State employees are scheduled to relocate to the NAC’s Government District for a 6-month experimental phase starting December.

The Government District comprises 10 complexes that will house 34 ministries, in addition to the cabinet headquarters and the House of Representatives.

The NAC was due to be inaugurated by mid-2020, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the move till 2021.