Saudi Arabia will have its first orchestra and opera. France will help to set them up. The two countries signed an agreement on Monday to improve cultural ties. The Paris Opera will help Saudi Arabia produce its own opera and classical performances. There are already plans to build the first opera house. It will be in the kingdom's second largest city, Jeddah. Saudi Arabia will spend $64 billion on its entertainment industry in the next 10 years.
The agreement is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 plan to modernize Saudi. Other parts of the agreement will see French archaeologists help to develop and preserve Saudi Arabia's region of Al-Ula. This area is rich in ancient sites. Another important part of the agreement is translating books. France's Culture Minister said it was important to translate books, "in both directions, from Arabic into French and French into Arabic".