<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/oman/2022/09/27/president-sheikh-mohamed-arrives-in-oman-for-two-day-state-visit/">President Sheikh Mohamed</a> visited the Royal Opera House Muscat on the second day of his state visit to Oman. Sheikh Mohamed was received by Sayyid Kamel bin Fahd, secretary general of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and Nasr bin Hamoud, secretary general of Royal Court Affairs. During his tour, Sheikh Mohamed took in a special musical performance by the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra and learnt how it was founded under the guidance of the late <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/mena/sultan-qaboos-of-oman-dies-aged-79-1.962587">Sultan Qaboos</a>. "I had the pleasure of visiting the Royal Opera House Muscat today and enjoying a moving performance by the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra. Congratulations to everybody involved and thank you for the valuable contribution that you are making to music and culture in our region," Sheikh Mohamed wrote on Twitter. He also enjoyed musical performances by the Omani Royal Guard Military Band. The President was briefed on the history of the opera house, and its design, which blends elements of Omani architecture with influences from around the world. He also viewed some musical instruments and saw the venue’s state-of-the-art technology and facilities. "I was pleased to visit the impressive Royal Opera House and listen to the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra, whose performance seamlessly blended tradition and modernity," Sheikh Mohamed wrote in the VIP guestbook of the opera house. "The arts are a common global language that can act as a bridge between cultures. "They are an important means of promoting understanding and spreading the human values of peace and coexistence among people, the same values that Oman enjoys under the leadership of my brother His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, the Sultan of Oman." He was accompanied by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council; and several important officials. The opera house, Oman's premier venue for music, arts and culture, is one of the most beautiful and technically advanced opera houses in the world. The 25,000 square-metre site has the capacity for around 850 people within its main auditorium, which can — by hydraulics that move the proscenium and VIP boxes — seat more than 1,050. Since its inauguration in 2011, the opera house has played host to Italian director and opera producer Franco Zeffirelli, US jazz titan Wynton Marsalis and superstar soprano Renee Fleming, among many others. Sheikh Mohamed has ended his Oman<a href="https://wam.ae/en/category/t2/HH_Sheikh_Mohammed_bin_Zayed_Al_Nahyan"> </a>trip and has left from Muscat, said news agency Wam. Sultan Haitham accompanied Sheikh Mohamed to the airport to wish him farewell.
