The Scala Opera House makes money donated by Saudi Arabia

Italian opera La Scala plans to repatriate about 3 million euros to Saudi Arabia after signing an agreement to finance the house with Saudi money that has sparked a public outcry.

The agreement provided that the Saudi Minister of Culture sits on the board of directors of La Scala opera house.

The human rights record in Saudi Arabia has been widely criticized by several countries after the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October.

The Italian-Saudi partnership plan has been criticized by human rights groups and politicians.

"We unanimously decided to return the money," said Monday the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, at a press conference.

"We will come back to zero and we will see other possibilities for cooperation."

Italian opera has already received three million euros from the Saudi side as part of a $ 15 million partnership project with the Saudi Ministry of Culture.

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But the plan sparked a lot of criticism, including from members of the ruling coalition of the Northern League.

Italian coalition leader and deputy prime minister Matteo Salafani urged the opera to cancel the deal. The governor of Lombardy and a member of the ruling coalition also demanded the dismissal of Alexander Pereira, director of the opera.

But Sala said that Pereira was still in office.

Saudi Arabia has not yet published any official statement on this subject.

Saudi Arabia faces charges of murdering journalist Jamal Khashoggi as part of an operation conducted by a group of Saudi agents within the Saudi Arabian consulate to Istanbul, Turkey. The Saudi authorities deny that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is aware of the crime.