The French-Saudi institution will be "dedicated to arts and culture, conceived as a space for artistic, cultural and creative dialogue. The villa will house artist residencies and a cultural center," reads the information released by the Paris Opera on Thursday.

Besides the future cooperation, the Paris Opera (Opéra National de Paris) is preparing for a large-scale event to take place at the Maraya Performance Hall in AlUla on 17 January.

The event will be a showcase of "operatic repertoire and a choreographic creation, as well as an exhibition of some of the finest opera and ballet costumes created by its workshops. This evening will mark the meeting of the new generation of opera singers trained at the Paris Opera Academy and the young Saudi singer Sawsan Al-Bahiti, with the complicity of the Etoile dancer of the Paris Opera Ballet, Alice Renavand," Paris Opera said.

The event will also feature soprano Marianne Croux, mezzo Farrah El-Dibany, tenor Yu Shao, baryton Vladimir Kapshuk, and pianist Benjamin Laurent.

"This first step marks the beginning of a long-term partnership between Villa Hegra and the Opéra National de Paris. This partnership will offer artistic performances, training programs, and the transmission of the prestigious institution's know-how to AlUla," the Paris Opera revealed.

The cooperation is aligned with the agreement signed between France and Saudi Arabia in 2018 for the tourism and cultural development of the AlUla region, particularly rich in Nabataean ruins and its landscapes.

In March 2023, the Pompidou Center signed an agreement with the country for the creation of a future contemporary art museum in AlUla dedicated to artists from the Arab world.