The Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has announced the award of a SAR 3.75 billion contract, to build Six Flags Qiddiya, to Bouygues Bâtiment International (BBI) – a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction – and Saudi Almabani General Contractors, in a joint venture between the two construction companies.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by officials from both companies at the Qiddiya Experience Centre and was followed by a ground-breaking inauguration to simultaneously mark the official start of construction.
BAs the Kingdom’s future capital of Entertainment, Sports and the Arts, visitors to Qiddiya will enjoy a wide spectrum of offerings that include Sports and Wellness; Nature and Environment; Parks and Attractions; Motion and Mobility; and Arts and Culture. Situated on the outskirts of the Saudi capital, Qiddiya is a destination city that is currently under development and, when open, will become a disruptive destination that offers innovative experiences in entertainment, sports and arts.
Six Flags Qiddiya will serve to be a key entertainment attraction for Qiddiya and the city of Riyadh. The theme park will cover an area of 320,000m2 and will feature 28 rides and attractions of which 10 will be thrill rides, with 18 rides designed for families and young children.
Abdullah Aldawood, Board Member and Managing Director, Qiddiya Investment Company, explained: “With this signing, we are embarking on major steps towards building the Kingdom’s future destination for Entertainment, Sports and the Arts. We are pleased to collaborate with leading construction companies, like Bouygues Bâtiment International, and we look forward to building Six Flags Qiddiya together, delivering a world-class theme park with several exciting new ride concepts. Six Flags Qiddiya will be a key entertainment attraction for Riyadh, the Kingdom and the world at large.”
The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by officials from both companies at the Qiddiya Experience Centre and was followed by a ground-breaking inauguration to simultaneously mark the official start of construction.
BAs the Kingdom’s future capital of Entertainment, Sports and the Arts, visitors to Qiddiya will enjoy a wide spectrum of offerings that include Sports and Wellness; Nature and Environment; Parks and Attractions; Motion and Mobility; and Arts and Culture. Situated on the outskirts of the Saudi capital, Qiddiya is a destination city that is currently under development and, when open, will become a disruptive destination that offers innovative experiences in entertainment, sports and arts.
Six Flags Qiddiya will serve to be a key entertainment attraction for Qiddiya and the city of Riyadh. The theme park will cover an area of 320,000m2 and will feature 28 rides and attractions of which 10 will be thrill rides, with 18 rides designed for families and young children.
Abdullah Aldawood, Board Member and Managing Director, Qiddiya Investment Company, explained: “With this signing, we are embarking on major steps towards building the Kingdom’s future destination for Entertainment, Sports and the Arts. We are pleased to collaborate with leading construction companies, like Bouygues Bâtiment International, and we look forward to building Six Flags Qiddiya together, delivering a world-class theme park with several exciting new ride concepts. Six Flags Qiddiya will be a key entertainment attraction for Riyadh, the Kingdom and the world at large.”
Rides and Attractions
All rides and attractions have been designed exclusively for Qiddiya and embody the rich cultural heritage of the location as well as Saudi Arabia. The theme park will be home to five signature rides that will break ten world records, including Falcons Flight, the world’s tallest, fastest and longest coaster; Sirocco Tower, the world’s tallest, free-standing shot tower ride; Gyrospin, the world’s tallest pendulum ride; Spitfire, the world’s tallest inverted top hat coaster; and Iron Rattler, the world’s tallest tilt coaster.
The rides and attractions at the theme park will be spread across six immersive lands: The City of Thrills, Discovery Springs, Steam Town, Twilight Gardens, Valley of Fortune and Grand Exposition.
The central hub of the park will be the Citadel which will be covered by a billowing canopy form inspired by traditional Bedouin tents
The central hub of the park will be the Citadel which will be covered by a billowing canopy form inspired by traditional Bedouin tents. Home to a wide range of cafes and shops, the venue will transform into an interactive show space throughout the day. From here, visitors will find gateways to each of the themed lands.
The City of Thrills is the embodiment of Vision 2030: a forward-looking, boundary-pushing, future city anchored in Arabic design motifs. Here, visitors will find Six Flags Qiddiya’s most recognizable and anticipated thrill rides including the record-breaking Falcons Flight, inspired by the Kingdom’s iconic raptor and the Sirocco Tower.
All rides and attractions have been designed exclusively for Qiddiya
Discovery Springs is an aquatic wonderland of waterfalls, aqueducts and geysers as well as exotic plants and trees. This oasis offers visitors relief from the summer heat by creating the feel of a dense rainforest in the middle of the desert. It will be home to an interactive ride called the Sea Stallion, where riders are propelled over rivers, behind waterfalls, and through trees along a custom-designed course, as they control the speed and acceleration of their vehicle.
Steam Town is themed around mechanical marvels and a collection of dynamic contraptions. Its signature ride is the Iron Rattler Mine Train which features a hydraulic lift that releases passengers into a freefall plunge through a narrow, steam-filled mineshaft.
Other key attractions include the Steam Town Falls Water Coaster which combines a roller coaster track with a splashing boat ride, a spinning mechanical ride called the Bull Rider and a custom-themed climbing structure called the Treehouse Trek.
Twilight Gardens is an oversized landscape of the imagination filled with colorful flowers and friendly creatures, all exclusively designed for younger visitors and their families. This enchanted land’s key features include the Twilight Express Coaster, which takes passengers through a majestic garden, the Critter Chase, an interactive dark ride set in a 3D environment, and the Kaleidoscope hot air balloon ride.
Valley of Fortune is an exciting land of adventure that takes place amidst time-worn architectural ruins of old Arabian masonry, enlivened by the activity and trade of fortune seekers from around the world. This land’s signature attraction is Spitfire, a triple-launch coaster, which will take guests into a sky roll before an acrobatic stall and a breathtaking dive back to the valley floor. Other attractions include Skywatch, a hydraulic boom ride where riders are lifted into the sky, the auto-themed Treasure Trail, and the Canyon Charters, a family plane ride that swings and rotates freely above the park.
Grand Exposition is a celebration of innovation combining the nostalgia of traditional World Expos with the greatest feats of science and technology such as the Gyrospin Pendulum, which swings riders to record heights. It is also home to Six Flags’ classic and most loved coaster Colossus, a gravity-driven wood-steel hybrid coaster that stretches over an 800-meter track. The land also features the Arabian Carousel, where Arabian horses march in a circular parade, the Expo Flyer swinging ride and the Roundabout featuring a bumper car attraction themed as London cabs.
Six Flags Qiddiya’s master plan has been carefully designed to ensure the guest experience is unparalleled and memorable.