This year, although the El Gouna film festival didn’t take place, El Gouna brought us Opera Aida, a show celebrating the 150th anniversary since its debut. On October 13th, 2022, this grand show was held at El Gouna Conference and Culture Center, under the sponsorship and organization of Red Sea Governate in partnership with IEvents and RMS.
Via @elgounaredsea on Instagram
CEO of El Gouna, Mohamed Amer, expressed how excited he was to host the show, expressing: “We were keen to host this important celebratory performance of Opera Aida in Egypt, from which it was originally premiered a 150 years ago. Emphasizing that Egypt is the origin of civilization and one of the most important sources of culture and arts in the world. We were keen to provide all the necessary support for the success of this night, especially that we are strong believers in diversifying events to promote tourism and attract different segments of visitors, in-line with Orascom Development’s aim to make El Gouna the beacon of arts, culture and sports in the region.”
In an interview with the CEO of El Gouna…
Cosmo ME: El Gouna has quickly become the hub for the biggest events in the Arab world with Opera Aida naming a few, why do you think it is important to build and sustain a social and cultural hub?
Mohamed Amer: We have identified ourselves as a social, cultural, sports, business, and entrepreneurial part and I would say we are strong not in just Egypt, but the region as a whole. I would also like to say it is aligned with our vision and mission to give back to the community and put Egypt in its rightful place. I think we have fantastic resources in Egypt, amazing heritage, artists, and part of our mission is to showcase that in different events like Opera Aida and many others. So expect this to be happening in El Gouna more.
Cosmo ME: This is the first edition of Opera Aida happening in Egypt, what do you hope to achieve from the event?
Mohamed Amer: We’re very proud to host the Opera, I think it is a unique event that will put Egypt, the Red Sea, and El Gouna in the international spotlight. In a way, we are saying to the world that we do have the ability to host such big events as well as to organize them successfully so I think it’s going to create a positive world that will put Egypt in a positive light.
Cosmo ME: What are some new and exciting projects upcoming in El Gouna that are upcoming we can look out for and support?
Mohamed Amer: 2022 has been an exciting year for us, very busy with events. So we did hold the 10th edition of the International Squash Tournament, we did have the first Gouna food week a nice week-long event, and Water Sports Festival – a busy year(!!). Looking forward to big events like Gouna Half Marathon a popular event, and Forbes 30 under 30 in November.
Cosmo ME: If we had to visit El Gouna what would you suggest doing there?
Mohamed Amer: There is almost nothing that you can’t do in El Gouna. If you want to relax, play sports, do yoga, or even golf, El Gouna is your place. Wide range of activities for all ages who can have fun!
