Milan's prestigious La Scala is planning to open a conservatory for 600 children in the Saudi capital, reports AFP, citing local presses.

The refund followed an outcry over a major funding deal which would have given Saudi Arabia a place on the board at La Scala.

The conservatory won the backing of the board of the La Scala Theatre's Academy Foundation chaired by Alexander Pereira. It will open in September and take in boys and girls aged 6 to 10 years old.