Youth theaters seldom take part in top-level diplomatic visits in the Middle East, particularly one with a modern approach to women’s rights and Egyptian society's traditional respect for elders. But the cast of “Salem Nafsak” ("Turn Yourself In") found itself performing March 5 for President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his guest of honor, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The unusual addition to the official visit owes to bilateral plans to enhance cultural cooperation and the recent statements of the crown prince on the need for cultural and artisitic development in the kingdom. His modernization program, Vision 2030, prioritizes culture and the arts, and he has announced that Saudi Arabia will establish its first opera house by 2022.
