The Lebanese Ministry of Culture is seeking funds to open an opera house in Beirut and “has signed an agreement with China for a grant of $35 million to develop the National Conservatoire for Music in Dbayeh”. More cultural centers and an opera house are definitely good news as long as there’s a plan to make good use of it.

I wonder if the ministry has any plans for Le Grand Theatre de Beirut, a cultural icon of great historical significance that has been abandoned for decades.

The Ministry of Culture (MoC) is seeking funds and land to develop an opera house. Saleh Farroukh, advisor to the MoC, said: “The Sultanate of Oman is interested in developing a cultural center in Beirut.” The MoC has proposed to Oman to turn the center into an opera house.

According to Farroukh, the opera house will be located in Beirut and would cost at least $50-$70 million. It will have a land area of 15,000 square meters (m2). The Conservatoire will include several music halls for training purposes, as well as an amphitheater for concerts, with a capacity of 1,400 seats. [Businessnews]