Saudi Arabia cuts $200m in Met Opera House funding due to Iran war: Report

Saudi Arabia cuts $200m in Met Opera House funding due to Iran war: Report Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 04/24/2026 - 18:15 General manager of NYC's famed opera venue said Saudi Arabia pulled funding because of economic impact war was having on kingdom Saudi Arabian Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan departs a press briefing at the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, on 17 April 2026 (Kent Nishimura/AFP) Off Saudi Arabia has pulled out of a $200m deal to support New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House due to economic hits it has suffered from the US-Israeli war on Iran , The New York Times reported on Friday. While $200m is a relatively small sum compared to Saudi Arabia’s vast $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the decision is notable as the first sign that the war on Iran is denting Gulf financial commitments in the West. Peter Gelb, the Met Opera's general manager, told the NYT that the kingdom said its decision was based on damage to the country’s economy caused by the Iran war and the blockade of oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz.