KUWAIT: The American University of the Middle East Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Fahd Al-Othman, announced that the University is launching its own Opera House within the AUM Cultural Center built on its campus.

In his speech, Al-Othman said "After completing the construction of all infrastructure, from academic and research facilities, the American University of the Middle East began the implementation of the second phase of its mission, which is to build institutions and facilities that link the university with institutions and sectors in the society and the economy".

Within this framework, he announced that AUM Cultural Center is ready to start its operations in the beginning of the upcoming academic year. The center includes a large theatre that can accommodate more than 1,500 individuals as well as another theatre for up to 500 individuals and more than 10,000 square meters of halls and display areas.

Al-Othman also stated that AUM Cultural Center comes at an appropriate moment to keep abreast of the cultural renaissance initiated by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. It also comes at a time when the region and our country in particular, is in vital need of new stages of progress and development.

Al-Othman pointed out that the activities hosted by AUM Cultural Center will include cultural, poetry and musical evenings, exhibitions, theatrical workshops, fine arts of all kinds, and other activities, that we hope will create an interaction platform to attract talents and ideas that will actively engage both our students and professors with different community institutions in Kuwait and the region.

"Our success today is in our endurance, we rely on the solid foundations we have built during the past years, and we aim to always be the institution of youth, opportunities and dreams that are not limited by circumstances, place or time," he added.

Al-Othman addressed the young people, saying, "We dream and achieve to awaken your dreams, and to tell you to persevere in building a reality that stems from these dreams and goes beyond them. For every success in life comes from a beautiful dream that is accompanied by a sincere intention and hard will to accomplish it".

"Our path has always been paved with success milestones. We have trained, educated and graduated thousands of young people and we continue to strive to make a real difference in the lives of our youth and our country, for it to remain young and prosperous," he added.

Al-Othman also explained that international companies had supervised the construction and design of the AUM Cultural Center, notably the British company "Theatertech", which implemented outstanding projects around the world, that include the Opera House at the National Theater of Greece, the National Theater in London and Hong Kong Arts Center.

In its new initiative, The American University of the Middle East is the first in the region to build an Opera house within its campus offering a new addition to Kuwait's cultural landmarks.