Plans have been mooted for Bahrain's first opera house. The venture is the brainchild of Bahraini businesswoman Suzi Kanoo who intends to build a cultural complex housing several artistic activities under the same roof.

"The BD12 million ($33.14 million) project will also include two fully equipped theatres, music classrooms, and facilities to teach and practice plastic arts, drama and ballet," she said.

"This cultural milestone, the first of its kind in the Gulf, will help promote Bahrain's image abroad," she added.

Kanoo said the project was visualised two years ago with the encouragement of assistant under-secretary for culture and national heritage Dr Abdulla Yateem.

She said she had also discussed the idea at a recent meeting with Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa .

Mrs Kanoo said the project had been passed on to a consultancy company which will conduct a feasibility study.

The site of the project has yet to be chosen.