Latest news with #MichaelMina
Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
The CDC now says healthy kids don't need COVID shots. Is that true?
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up That discrepancy is at the root of a continuing debate among medical researchers about just how much of a risk COVID poses to children, and whether they should receive annual vaccines against it. Advertisement Many agree that the original course of vaccination offered significant protection against serious illness in children. Data from the CDC shows that two or more doses of COVID vaccines were 40% effective at preventing emergency room visits and hospitalizations among children under the age of 5. But the question of whether children need annual vaccines to protect against the latest circulating variants is more contentious. Advertisement Children might not benefit as much as adults would from a yearly shot because their immune systems can remember vaccinations for much longer, said Dr. Michael Mina, a former professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who has extensively studied COVID. Another argument against annual shots is that most children in the United States now have some degree of protection from previous infections or vaccinations. Those in favor of annual vaccines for children stress that protection from vaccines or infections wanes over time, especially as new variants emerge, so they can benefit from another dose. And emerging evidence shows that vaccination may protect against long COVID — although that is far from settled science. 'We know that COVID's still out there. We can prevent it, and the vaccine has got no appreciable side effects,' said Dr. Chris Forrest, a professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 'So I think it's a totally positive value proposition.' This added protection may be especially important for children with underlying conditions, and for those who live with relatives who are older or at high risk of severe illness. 'The more comorbid illnesses the child has, the quicker I would be in general to consider COVID vaccination,' said Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair of the department of medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, New York. 'And the reverse would be true. A perfectly healthy 3-year-old, he doesn't have any medical problems, he's had COVID once or twice — I'm not sure that there's any scientific data to support vaccination.' But, he added, 'it doesn't mean that it would be wrong or dangerous to give it.' Advertisement In a still image from video posted to X, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, flanked by Dr. Marty Makary, (left) and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who lead the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health, announce that the Covid vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children or healthy pregnant women. X/NYT Ultimately, doctors said, the question comes down to how families make sense of the risk to their children. Here's what the data shows. How mild is COVID usually for children? It is difficult to get good data on what share of pediatric cases are mild, but doctors say that most children develop few symptoms. Some of the best information on children we have is from 2020, before children had built up widespread immunity from vaccination or infections. A review of studies from that year found that around 4% of children with COVID worldwide developed severe symptoms, which can include difficulty breathing, high fever and chest pain. How likely is it that children will be hospitalized with or die from COVID? Children who have COVID are generally at a low risk for hospitalization. About 234,000 children in the United States were hospitalized with infections between September 2020 and April 2024. Though the virus has led to milder disease over time, children and teenagers still accounted for about 4% of hospitalizations related to COVID between October 2024 and March 2025. The risk is higher for babies younger than 6 months. From October 2022 to April 2024, young infants were more likely to be hospitalized than any other age group apart from adults 75 and older. Pediatric COVID deaths are very rare. Provisional data from the CDC shows that more than 1,800 children in the United States have died from has said that more than 17,400 children and adolescents under 20 years old around the globe have died from COVID. Are only children with underlying health conditions falling seriously ill? In an April appearance on Fox News, Kennedy said that some children with 'very profound morbidities may have a slight risk' from COVID but that 'most kids don't.' But CDC data from July 2023 to March 2024 found that half of children who were hospitalized because of COVID had no underlying medical conditions. Advertisement It is true that underlying health conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease and chronic lung diseases raise the risk of hospitalization. Children with these and other conditions will still be able to be vaccinated. But the increase in risk isn't small. Research has shown that young people with at least one underlying condition are 28% more likely than those with no underlying conditions to end up in critical care with COVID, and are 125% more likely to die from it. The more underlying conditions a child has, the greater the risk. Related : A review of data on 183 pediatric COVID deaths from 2020 to 2022 found that 32% of children who died did not have another medical condition. Does vaccinating pregnant women protect infants? Kennedy also announced Tuesday that the CDC will no longer recommend that healthy pregnant women be vaccinated against COVID. Pregnant women are at a far higher risk of severe disease from COVID. Vaccinating pregnant women also reduces the risk that their infants will be hospitalized from COVID. Babies under 6 months are at higher risk of hospitalization from the disease, in part because their immune systems are so fragile, and they are not able to be vaccinated. What about the risk of myocarditis? Kennedy has claimed that COVID vaccines have 'huge associations' with types of heart inflammation, called myocarditis or pericarditis. The shots have been linked to this issue in rare cases, particularly among adolescent boys. Most instances of myocarditis associated with vaccines have been mild. One analysis of nearly 4 million people who received booster shots found 28 instances of probable or confirmed myocarditis, all of which resolved quickly. Advertisement COVID-19 vaccines note the minor risk of heart inflammation to young men on their warning labels. Last month, the FDA told Pfizer and Moderna to broaden that warning to include boys and men between the ages 16 and 25, citing data that showed about 38 cases of heart inflammation per million doses among this age group. Research has consistently shown that the virus itself is far more likely to cause this inflammation. One review found that the risk of myocarditis after infection was more than seven times greater than the risk after vaccination. What's the risk of long COVID? Estimates of long COVID among children vary widely. But even at the lower end, studies show that around 1% of children in the United States, or roughly 1 million children, have ever had long COVID, broadly defined as symptoms that persist or emerge at least three months after an infection. These include many children who had mild or asymptomatic infections. The condition commonly causes children to experience fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, and trouble concentrating and sleeping. 'We see kids that are having huge impacts on their everyday activities. They can no longer go to school because they're having such profound fatigue or other symptoms,' said Dr. Laura Malone, director of the Pediatric Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. 'These kids are not able to play sports or go to their school dances,' she added. This article originally appeared in .
Axios
08-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
James Beard Award-winning chef to open a steakhouse at The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte
Chef Michael Mina and his restaurant group, The MINA Group, will open his steakhouse, Bourbon Steak, in Charlotte in 2026. Why it matters: Charlotte loves a steakhouse, ranging from local favorites like Beef 'N Bottle on South Boulevard to popular chains like Steak 48 in SouthPark and STK in Uptown. Plus, one of Charlotte's most anticipated South End developments will have a steakhouse — Guard and Grace out of Denver. Context: This will be The MINA Group 's first Charlotte restaurant. Mina is a James Beard Award winner. He's also earned Michelin stars. What to expect: Bourbon Steak Charlotte's menu will focus on beef, seafood and in-season produce. The restaurant will serve wine and cocktails. The vibe: Luxury is the goal, with a mix of modern and steakhouse vibes.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
It Was Once Eliminated From the U.S. Now, We Could Be on the Verge of an Epidemic.
Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. As of this week, there are at least 800 cases of measles in the U.S. across 25 states. There are 10 outbreaks—defined as three or more related cases—ranging from New Mexico to New York. The largest outbreak, with 597 cases, started in Texas back in January. That's where we had the first death of an unvaccinated child, in February. Another in April. Three in total. Before this year, there had been three deaths in all of the years since the U.S. eliminated the disease (meaning that the disease was no longer continuously spreading) in 2000. It's concerning. The numbers are high, especially considering we're less than halfway through the year. It's very possible that cases are being underreported. And they keep rising, with no evidence that it will slow anytime soon. Which leads us to the million-dollar question: How bad could measles get this year? While it's impossible to say for certain, experts say that we're standing on a precipice. It's not out of the question that measles could rip through the entire country like wildfire. If each case is a spark, 'the brush is burning right now,' says epidemiologist Michael Mina, who studies how infections and vaccines affect human health. Whether the burning brush will ignite the whole forest just depends on how long our strained firewalls can hold. Measles could continue breaking out in these bubbles (bad, but relatively confined to certain geographic areas). Or, if those bubbles grow large enough, they could converge and turn into a countrywide epidemic (very, very bad). To imagine how bad it could get, we can look to Europe, Mina recently argued in a New York Times op-ed. In 2018, the continent saw more than 80,000 cases, tens of thousands of hospitalizations, and over 70 deaths, Mina says, including in countries that had achieved—and subsequently lost—elimination status. That's possible here, too. If it feels like this is happening suddenly, it's not. The U.S. has been moving toward this moment for decades, says Mina, long before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became health secretary. There are a mix of factors. For one, public health is often a victim of its own success: Once a disease has been wiped out for long enough, people forget how bad it was. In the days before the measles vaccine (aka the MMR vaccine), almost every kid got measles, says David Weber, president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Every year 3 million to 4 million people were infected; nearly 50,000 people were hospitalized; hundreds died. The vaccine changed that. Those who survived the disease decades ago might protest, Hey, I had the measles and just stayed home for a week, no biggie! People forget how many people died, says Weber. Not to mention, there are new parents today who never had to deal with the measles at all. For many, the idea of their kid getting the measles feels totally theoretical. The consequence of improved public health is that it becomes harder to convince people to go out of their way to vaccinate. Vaccination has always been hard to argue for; sticking a child with a needle full of some substance 'goes against a parent's natural evolutionary instincts,' says Mina. He doesn't fault parents who worry about vaccination. Instead, he says, it's the onus of public health officials to make sure parents are 'exceedingly comfortable' to push back against those (totally reasonable!) instincts and make an informed decision to protect their child. That requires making sure parents have the information they need to evaluate the risks and benefits of a shot. Vaccine messaging by public health officials has left much to be desired, says Mina. Instead of acknowledging and addressing parents' worries, they've taken a more paternalistic approach—i.e., 'Just get the vaccine, it'll be fine!' Then, early on in the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assured people that you couldn't get COVID-19 after getting vaccinated, when you could in fact still get COVID-19, albeit a much milder version. People felt like they'd been lied to, recalls Jess Steier, CEO of the public health data science consulting firm (and podcast) Unbiased Science. 'They burned the bridge of trust.' Add all that to the fact that the MMR vaccine has been erroneously linked to autism (studies continue to show no association between vaccines and autism). The seed was planted way back in 1998 thanks to a paper in the Lancet—a paper that was later found to be riddled with faulty data and has since been retracted. But that didn't matter. It had already set off a movement, fanned by RFK Jr. and other vaccine cynics. Indeed, measles vaccination rates had been dropping for many years before the pandemic came along. And we really need people to get the vaccine. Measles is incredibly contagious, far more so than COVID or flu. A single person with measles can walk through, say, a grocery store and continue to infect people for up to two hours after they've left the space, says Weber. Roughly 90 percent of unvaccinated people exposed to measles will become infected. While measles' mortality rate is relatively low compared with other diseases—about 0.2 percent of people infected with measles in the U.S. will die—the hospitalization rate is incredibly high: 20 percent, for people who haven't been vaccinated. 'This is not a benign disease,' says Weber. 'How many infectious diseases do we have that 10 to 20 percent of the people end up in the hospital?' (It's certainly not that high for flu, COVID, or other respiratory illnesses.) All that being said, here's the very worst-case scenario for what could happen next with measles, according to Steier's calculations. Given measles' mortality rate of 0.2 percent, if the entire unvaccinated U.S. population (23.5 million people) were exposed to measles, nearly 50,000 people could die. (This would likely occur over several years.) Given that 90 percent of exposed unvaccinated people become infected, and then 20 percent of that number face hospitalization, millions could end up in the hospital, and some with potentially lifelong complications, including neurological damage, intellectual disabilities, and hearing loss. They also face the risk of something called immune amnesia, where the immune system 'forgets' its immunity to other infectious diseases for a period of weeks to years. Even if they survive the measles, they could suffer or die from something else because they got the measles. None of these calculations include the 22 million immunocompromised Americans who face heightened risk even if they were vaccinated. It's unclear what a nationwide outbreak would mean for the vaccinated population, says Steier. The MMR vaccine is incredibly effective—roughly 97 percent of people are protected with two shots—but it's not been tested in an environment where there are thousands of cases. 'We could see more breakthrough cases of measles, potentially,' she says. It might also change how we live our lives. Like COVID days, we could see travel advisories or requirements to carry proof of immunity (which could cause procedural challenges, considering how many people are immune due to prior infection and thus have no vaccination records to prove their immunity, says Weber). This, of course, will depend on how the federal government responds. Again, those are worst-case scenarios. How exactly measles will play out isn't certain. But the way forward is clear, experts say: The only thing that can end the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine, full stop. That's our firewall. In the current outbreaks, 96 percent of people who have been infected are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. In the case of a measles infection, which can take days to develop symptoms, even a vaccination right before an individual gets exposed and infected can still make a difference in protecting them. That means 'catch-up' vaccination campaigns can be 'very, very powerful' if an unvaccinated community gets hit hard with measles, says Mina. In other words, there are things that can be done late in the game, even if we cross into wildfire territory. Alas, we continue to see mixed messaging about vaccines by the Department of Health and Human Services. In the past, kids dying of measles might have led to swift action by the CDC, such as widespread catch-up vaccination campaigns (some CDC employees have been deployed to Texas, though resources are low after federal funding cuts last month). But even after the first child's death in February, RFK Jr. continued to question the MMR vaccine and tout therapies, like vitamin A, that are not preventive measures. It wasn't until early April that he finally endorsed the vaccine. And yet 'the only way that we can prevent measles is MMR,' says Steier. 'It's bananas that we're talking about anything else.' The good news is that, regardless of lagging federal efforts, individuals can opt to protect themselves with a vaccine that is incredibly effective. If you're in an outbreak area or planning to travel, make sure you and your children are vaccinated, says Weber. Infants can receive an early vaccine at 6 months (this would not be considered to be one of the standard doses, so they'd later still need the full two-shot regimen). As the threat has grown more imminent, 'we are seeing an increased awareness amongst millions of people,' notes Mina. Hopefully many of them will update their risk-benefit analysis and get vaccinated, he says. In the meantime, experts are keeping an eye out for red flags that we're going the wrong way. If outbreak bubbles continue to grow—or worse, converge—we move closer toward a national epidemic, Mina says. Steier worries about a study that RFK Jr. has ordered to investigate the link between autism and vaccines, which will be headed by David Geier, a man who has been disciplined for practicing medicine without a license, has no advanced science degree, and has suggested for decades that vaccines cause autism. If the study claims to find a link (again, the existence of such a link has already been investigated thoroughly and disproven), Steier anticipates that vaccination rates could plunge—the opposite of what needs to be happening. Until vaccination rates improve, we'll teeter on the edge with this disease. It's not clear what will happen with measles next—but we're not in a good spot.
Mid East Info
17-04-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Diriyah Company Awards Construction Contract Worth $1.4 billion (SAR 5.1 billion) to Build the Iconic Royal Diriyah Opera House
The 2,000-seat main auditorium is set to become the principle opera and performing arts space in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia The construction contract awarded to a joint venture comprising El Seif Engineering Contracting, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, and Midmac Construction Company New flagship cultural destination to be operated by Royal Commission for Riyadh City Contract marks another major milestone for Diriyah Company in building The City of Earth DIRIYAH: Diriyah Company has awarded a $1.4 billion (SAR 5.1 billion) construction contract to build the iconic Royal Diriyah Opera House and a number of surrounding assets. The contract was awarded to a joint venture comprising El Seif Engineering Contracting Co. Ltd., (ESEC), China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. (CSCEC) and Midmac Construction Co. Ltd. Diriyah Company's Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo signed the agreement with the three joint venture companies during a signing ceremony held recently to mark this latest milestone on Diriyah's development journey, including a series of other major project announcements made during the first quarter of 2025. The Royal Diriyah Opera House will become Diriyah's flagship performing arts venue and a major architectural landmark, setting new benchmarks for cultural performances in Saudi Arabia. With a capacity of 2,000 people, the main opera auditorium will become the focal point of the venue that will be managed by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. The venue is capable of accommodating and staging the largest international touring opera, theatrical and musical performances in a unique, intimate and engaging space bringing artists and the audience together. The Royal Diriyah Opera House will also include a 450-seat studio theater, a shaded rooftop amphitheater with 450 seats and multipurpose halls taking the total seating capacity to 3,100 seats. The contract also covers the construction of additional assets in the opera house district, including one of Diriyah's five star hospitality assets and a mixed-use residential complex. This contract is the latest in a series of major announcements signed in 2025, including: The launch of the high-profile Media and Innovation District at MIPIM in Cannes Awarding a $113.6 million (SAR 426.3 million) architecture and design contract to Omrania, the Kingdom Tower architects, for buildings around Diriyah's main iconic avenue Opening of two major electricity substations, the 1707 MVA-capacity Bulk Substation and 200 MVA-capacity Primary Substation, operated by the Saudi Electricity Company The appointment of Giza Systems as the delivery partner for Diriyah's Smart City initiative The selection of IBM Maximo Application Suite to monitor and manage assets across Diriyah to enhance its Smart City capabilities The launch of Saudi Arabia's first Armani branded residences The opening of Taleed – globally renowned chef Michael Mina's first Michelin-starred restaurant in Saudi Arabia at the 134-room Luxury Collection hotel, Bab Samhan The Royal Diriyah Opera House was designed by renowned Norwegian architects Snøhetta and will feature a contemporary Najdi aesthetic, using materials such as palm, stone, and earth. The design will prioritize sustainability, incorporating water conservation, natural lighting, strategic building orientation, and thermal comfort measures. Set to become an international theatrical powerhouse, the Royal Diriyah Opera House will help anchor Diriyah's place as the Kingdom's cultural epicenter and a globally competitive destination for the arts, positioning Diriyah as a key player in shaping the future of performance and cultural infrastructure. Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of Diriyah Company, said: 'The Royal Diriyah Opera House will be a landmark asset in Diriyah reinforcing Diriyah's growing global role in shaping Saudi Arabia's artistic and cultural future, aligned with Vision 2030. This contract demonstrates our progress, building a diverse range of assets across the Diriyah development area. This beautiful, iconic asset will play a vital role in bringing people together in of the world's greatest gathering places to experience unforgettable performances.' Khalid Alhazani, Executive Vice President of Riyadh Life Sector, Royal Commission for Riyadh City added: 'This agreement marks a major milestone in building this world-class operatic venue. We are excited to have the opportunity to welcome the world's leading operatic and artistic talent in the future and ensure that the Royal Diriyah Opera House can incubate and empower the wonderful range of homegrown talent we have in the Kingdom.' Backed by the Public Investment Fund, Diriyah is an integrated urban development project that will, once completed, provide homes for almost 100,000 residents, office space for tens of thousands of professionals in the technology, media, arts and education sectors, create an estimated 178,000 jobs, attract almost 50 million annual visits, and contribute approximately USD 18.6 billion (SAR 70 billion) directly to Saudi Arabia's GDP. About Diriyah: Diriyah, Saudi Arabia's premier historical, cultural, and lifestyle destination, is a key component of Saudi Arabia's 2030 Vision. A short 15-minute drive from Riyadh's city center, this 14-square-kilometer development holds historical significance as the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, dating back to 1727. Currently being developed by Diriyah Company, Diriyah is undergoing a transformation into an authentic Najdi-style mixed-use urban community. Diriyah's centerpiece is At-Turaif, the UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2010, showcasing the ancient adobe capital city of the First Saudi State, dating back to 1766. Upon completion, Diriyah will host nearly 100,000 residents, workers, students, and visitors, offering a diverse range of cultural, entertainment, retail, hospitality, education, and residential spaces. The first of those spaces include Bujairi Terrace, Riyadh's new premium dining hub with over 20 global and local restaurants and cafes that enjoy uninterrupted views of At-Turaif. Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection Hotel is the first hospitality offering in Diriyah, providing a tranquil experience with panoramic views of Wadi Hanifah. Diriyah's development provides a dynamic environment that celebrates Saudi Arabia's rich cultural history. About Diriyah Company: Diriyah Company was established in 2023 and joined the Public Investment Fund's (PIF) portfolio of giga projects. The Company is responsible for developing the Diriyah project, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its foremost historical, cultural and lifestyle destination. A dynamic mixed-use developer, Diriyah Company is redefining urban planning to develop Diriyah, 'The City of Earth', while adhering to the highest design, development, and preservation standards. The company ensures Diriyah's cultural landmarks are complemented by world-class retail offerings, fine-dining experiences and leading hospitality brands. As a PIF company, its mission focuses on opportunities in development, hospitality, investment, retail and office leasing, along with strategic asset management, underscoring the commitment to ensuring successful business outcomes and sustainable growth under the strategic direction of Vision 2030. The Diriyah Company actively forges long-term partnerships to realize its vision of establishing Diriyah as one of the world's greatest gathering places.
Arabian Business
17-04-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Diriyah Opera House awards $1.4bn contract to build iconic theatre in Saudi Arabia
Diriyah Company has signed a $1.4bn (SR5.1bn) contract for the development of its iconic Royal Diriyah Opera House. The joint venture is signed with: El Seif Engineering Contracting Co (ESEC) Midmac Construction Co China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) The high-profile contract is the latest in a series of major project announcements made during the first quarter of 2025 as Diriyah Company continues its development program for Diriyah on the outskirts of Riyadh. Royal Diriyah Opera House in Saudi Arabia Diriyah Company's Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo signed the agreement with the three joint venture companies during a formal ceremony to mark this latest milestone in Diriyah's ongoing construction momentum. The opera house will become Diriyah's flagship performing arts venue and a major architectural landmark, setting new benchmarks for cultural performances in Saudi Arabia. With a capacity of 2,000 people, the main opera theatre will be the largest in Saudi Arabia and the focal point of the venue that will be managed by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. The Royal Diriyah Opera House will also include a studio theatre, shaded rooftop amphitheatre and multipurpose halls taking the total seating capacity to 3,100 seats. It is the latest in a series of major announcements in 2025 including: The launch of the high-profile Media and Innovation District at MIPIM in Cannes Awarding a $113.6m (SR426.3m) architecture and design contract to Omrania, the Kingdom Tower architects, for buildings around Diriyah's main iconic avenue Awarding key electricity sub stations contracts by the Saudi Electric Company with a combined value of $310.9m (SR1.2bn) The appointment of Giza Systems as the delivery partner for Diriyah's Smart City initiative The selection of IBM Maximo Application Suite to monitor and manage assets across Diriyah to enhance its Smart City capabilities The launch of Saudi Arabia's first Armani branded residences The opening of Taleed – globally renowned chef Michael Mina's first Michelin-starred restaurant in Saudi Arabia at the 134-room hotel Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection The opera house has been designed by renowned Norwegian architects Snøhetta Oslo AS and will feature a contemporary Najdi aesthetic, using materials such as palm, stone, and earth. The design will prioritise sustainability, incorporating water conservation, natural lighting, strategic building orientation, and thermal comfort measures. The design and engineering team supporting Snohetta includes Schlaich Bergermann Partner on structures and facades, Buro Happold and Saudi Diyar on MEP, Theatre Projects as theatre consultants and acousticians, JLL as cost consultants and supported by Plan A design management. Set to become an international theatrical powerhouse, the Royal Diriyah Opera House will help to anchor Diriyah's place as the Kingdom's cultural epicenter and a globally competitive destination for the arts. It positions Diriyah as a key player in shaping the future of performance and cultural infrastructure. Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of Diriyah Company, said: 'The Royal Diriyah Opera House will be a landmark asset at Diriyah that will reinforce Diriyah's growing global role in shaping Saudi Arabia's artistic and cultural future, aligned with Vision 2030. 'This contract demonstrates our progress, building a diverse range of assets across the Diriyah development area. 'This beautiful, iconic asset will play a vital role in bringing people together in of the world's greatest gathering places to experience unforgettable performances.' Khalid Alhazani, Executive Vice President of Riyadh Life Sector, Royal Commission for Riyadh City added: 'This agreement marks a major milestone in building this world-class operatic venue. We are excited to have the opportunity to welcome the world's leading operatic and artistic talent in the future and ensure that the Royal Diriyah Opera House can incubate and empower the wonderful range of homegrown talent we have in the Kingdom.' Backed by the Public Investment Fund, Diriyah is an integrated urban development project that will, once completed, provide homes for over 100,000 residents, office space for tens of thousands of professionals in the technology, media, arts and education sectors, create an estimated 178,000 jobs, attract 50m annual visits, and contribute $18.6bn (SR70bn) directly to Saudi Arabia's GDP.
