Saturday 04 / October / 2025
Muscat: The Royal Opera House Muscat (ROHM) has opened its new 2025/2026 season with the world-class opera "Sinbad: The Omani Sailor," which reimagines one of the voyages of the legendary Omani adventurer.
The production is produced by the ROHM in collaboration with the Budapest Palace of Arts (MOPA).
The show was presented with music and orchestral conductor Hesham Gabr, with the musical text by Nader Salah El-Din, and directed by Csaba Kale, accompanied by the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Oriental Band, with the participation of the Omani Opera Choir, Győr Ballet, and the Al-Ajyal Popular Band from Sur.
The opera's first act depicts the sailors' return after many years at sea. Among them, Sinbad appears victorious, but his celebration is quickly cut short when the ruler summons him on a mission to search for his youngest daughter. The second act depicts his adventure after his ship sinks and his arrival on an unknown island, where he faces dangers.
He then returns home with a spirit filled with love, sacrifice, and victory.
The character of Sinbad embodies the meanings of courage, boldness, and sacrifice, making him an ideal focus for an engaging and exciting opera, filled with the values of loyalty and belonging that reflect the authenticity of Omani identity.
The show blended myth and music in an artistic formulation that highlighted the depth of Omani identity through the design of Omani architectural scenes, costumes inspired by traditional clothing, and scenes that reflected the natural beauty of the Sultanate of Oman, thus embodying the rich maritime heritage and Omani cultural legacy.
The musical language of ‘Sinbad: The Omani Sailor’ combines Western romanticism with Arabic and Omani musical modes and rhythms.
It is worth noting that the international opera "Sinbad: The Omani Sailor" would be presented on October 5 also.
