“Why do you shout? Just sing,” is how Amani Al Hajji, the first female opera singer from the Gulf region, describes the reactions she encountered when she decided to pursue a career in opera in the mid-1980s in Kuwait. The term “trailblazer” is often overused, but in Hajji’s case, it is entirely fitting, as she dared to tread a path that no one in the Gulf had before. Despite numerous challenges, she refused to give up on her dreams. Today, female opera singers across the Gulf are treading the path she blazed.

“Choosing opera presented a challenge, one that extended beyond my personal and my society’s limits. For a woman coming from a conservative environment, to sing on stage, let alone perform opera, was no easy task. Even more challenging was fighting against the lack of enthusiasm and unawareness about opera,” Hajji recalled during a conversation in Kuwait in early October.

Trained as a soprano, with a distinctive bob haircut, Hajji dedicated herself to mastering opera, playing a central role in the rise of the genre in the Gulf over the past two decades. When she initially enrolled in Kuwait’s national conservatory in 1985, her parents prohibited her from singing in public. However, 15 years later, Hajji appeared onstage at the Cairo Opera House. Since then, she has represented her native Kuwait in performances across the world – from Italy and Turkey to Morocco and Ukraine.

Now an instructor herself at Kuwait’s national conservatory, where she imparts her knowledge to future singers, including her daughter, Hajji perceives a burgeoning interest in opera among the new generation, not only in Kuwait but throughout the Gulf. Reflecting on the personal and professional challenges she faced while pursuing her dream, she contends that younger female opera singers are fortunate to receive support from their governments and societies thanks to the transformations taking place in the region in recent years. However, some young singers still have to stand up to their families to follow their passion.

Gulf Women Finding Their Opera-tunity

Historically, women in the Gulf were restricted from various professions, including singing, as their public performances were considered socially inappropriate. For example, in Saudi Arabia, women were banned from pursuing a singing career and performing in public. Nevertheless, even when unable to pursue their musical ambitions within the kingdom, Saudi women continued to study music and perform outside the country. Today, they are supported by the ambitious Vision 2030 agenda led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The growing visibility of female opera singers in the region challenges preconceived notions about opera and the role of women in today’s Gulf states. Women are often overlooked in discussions about the development of Gulf states.

Hajji firmly believes that the increasing number of female opera singers gracing the stage reflects tangible, bottom-up change in Gulf societies. “Our societies had to broaden their range. Everything is changing, and this marks the beginning of transformation.”

In recent years, the Gulf’s opera scene has expanded beyond Kuwait to the entire Gulf region, with an increasing number of Gulf women pursuing careers in opera. Sawsan al-Bahiti is billed as the first professional Saudi opera singer. When Bahiti took the stage at the King Fahd Cultural Centre in June 2019 to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s 89th National Day, she made history as the first Saudi woman to perform the Saudi royal anthem in an operatic style. This innovative rendition, performed by a young woman, was received with enthusiasm and contributed to an increase in opera’s popularity among Saudis. In line with the Vision 2030 agenda, Saudi Arabia has undertaken efforts to empower Saudi women and promote their presence in the cultural arena. For Bahiti, empowering Saudi women is the driving force behind her decision to pursue opera in the kingdom, as it shapes perceptions of Saudi Arabia and Saudi women. She also runs her own studio in Jeddah, the Soulful Voice, where she coaches students, mainly Saudis, in various styles of singing.

Following in Bahiti’s footsteps, 23-year-old Saudi opera singer Basma al-Otaibi is one of Saudi Arabia’s youngest professional female opera singers and was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30 List” for the Middle East.

In the United Arab Emirates is Sara Al Qaiwani, the first professional Emirati opera singer, who also had to overcome obstacles to pursue her dream. Another young Emirati opera singer, Fatima Al Hashemi, performs in an abaya adorned with unique designs, which she views as a source of pride in her Emirati identity and heritage. Infusing Western music with the melodic richness of the East, she also sings the Emirati national anthem in operatic melodies.

Opera Booms in the Gulf States

Opera was not traditionally considered part of Gulf culture, so in the past it struggled to gain popularity. Now, there is a growing audience for opera in the Gulf that is more knowledgeable about global musical trends than ever before. Although adapting a European art form to local tastes has been a challenge, the emergence of female opera singers is gradually altering perceptions in the region. Opera is now beginning to draw larger Gulf audiences, as these talented women have their own sentimental style blending elements of the East and West. Thus, the makeup of the audience in the Gulf is also changing, albeit slowly.

In response to this shift, the Gulf states have started to establish their own opera houses. The first opera house in the region was opened in Muscat in 2011. Kuwait and the UAE followed suit by opening their first opera houses in 2016, and Saudi Arabia is planning to open one in 2026. Although not many people are aware of the existence of an opera theater in Saudi Arabia, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz commissioned the construction of one the King Fahd Cultural Center, in the early 1970s – but it wasn’t used for entertainment purposes until recently due to the restrictive environment in Saudi Arabia. However, as Paolo Petrocelli, head of the Dubai Opera, documented in his book “The Evolution of Opera Theatre in the Middle East and North Africa,” Saudi Arabia has been moving out of a prolonged period of “cultural obscurantism” toward a “Saudi cultural renaissance.” A sign of this change came in April 2017 with the first opera concert held in the King Fahd Cultural Center and Saudi Arabia as a whole. Saudi writer Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran argues that opera can serve as a beacon of change in the Gulf, stating, “Opera is an assortment of music and drama depending on the evolution of societies and the evolution of time.”

Female opera singers from the Gulf have nurtured their talent and overcome obstacles to follow their passions, serving as role models for other women in the region. Hajji stated, “I believe music can be the voice of the Gulf women, delivering a significant message that transcends Gulf borders. They just need to be carefully listened” to.