Villa Hegra, Saudi Arabia

Villa Hegra is a Franco-Saudi institution dedicated to arts and culture, born of a bilateral cooperation agreement. It officially opened in October 2025, following a pre-opening program of cultural workshops, film concerts, music and dance performances, talks, and artist residencies.

In this context, Villa Hegra invited the Paris Opera to Maraya on 17 January 2024 for a concert bringing together singers trained at the Paris Opera Academy and Etoile dancer Alice Renavand.

The collaboration continued on 13 and 14 December 2024 with a tour by the Paris Opera Junior Ballet to AlUla. The dancers performed Crossings, a work by Noé Soulier, director of the Centre national de danse contemporaine in Angers, danced directly on the sand in the heart of the region’s canyons.

These events marked the first steps of a long-term collaboration through which the Paris Opera supports Villa Hegra up to its opening and beyond, in shaping its programming and running its artist residencies, particularly in the following areas: opera and dance performances, dance education, instrumental and vocal practice, choreographic creation, artistic crafts, and arts and cultural education.

"This collaboration between Villa Hegra and the Paris Opera is not just a partnership; it is a bridge between cultures. It reflects our commitment to artistic excellence and to cultural dialogue beyond borders."

Carmen Gloria Larenas, directrice du Teatro Municipal de Santiago