Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has awarded a contract to build Saudi Arabia’s first and the region’s largest water theme park to the joint venture of ALEC Saudi Arabia Engineering & Contracting and El Seif Engineering Contracting. The value of the contract is SAR 2.8 billion ($746.6 million),
The Qiddiya Water Theme Park will be one of the key entertainment attractions at Qiddiya, the future capital of Entertainment, Sports and Culture.
The park will span 252,000m2 of land and feature 22 rides and attractions, nine of which will be world firsts. Thrill-seekers will also be able to enjoy nine ingeniously designed zones: the Entry Gate, Camel Rock, Dub Grotto, Wave Wadi, the Den, Viper Canyon, Arabian Peak, the Herding Grounds and Surf Lagoon, all inspired by animals that inhabit the area around Qiddiya.
The park will span 252,000m2 of land and feature 22 rides and attractions
Abdullah Aldawood, Board Member and Managing Director, QIC, explained: “The Qiddiya Water Theme Park will be a year-round immersive family entertainment destination, the first of its kind and offering experiences that have never before been offered in Saudi. We are pleased to be working with industry leaders like ALEC and El Seif, who will be using the latest in guest experience technologies to create what is certain to be one of the world’s greatest water theme parks. The park will offer a welcoming and fun environment for everyone.”
The Water Theme Park will also feature state-of-the-art competition water sports facilities and 17 F&B and retail outlets. In keeping with QIC’s sustainability principles, the park design will feature modern environmental systems to reduce water usage through recycling and smart usage. This will increase tourist enjoyment while dramatically lowering the quantity of water required to run the park.
Certain attractions have been engineered to utilise 75% less water
When compared to more traditional rides seen in other water parks, certain attractions have been engineered to utilise 75% less water. Rainwater falling on the site will also be collected, processed, and reused to irrigate the destination.
The park will incorporate technologies to minimise water pressure in key rides too, resulting in a 50% reduction in water evaporation. Furthermore, unlike traditional deeper pools used in other water parks, every pool in the complex will be based on a ‘run-out’ idea, allowing guests to glide safely across a shallower pool that uses less water at the end of an exciting slide.
Kez Taylor, CEO of ALEC, added: “We are proud to work on this landmark project in collaboration with El Seif. ALEC’s established expertise in large-scale theme park projects, honed through the successful delivery of other iconic water parks in the GCC, combined with the local expertise of El Seif will ensure the rides and infrastructure at the Qiddiya set new standards for the region, offering adventure seekers of all ages truly one-of-a-kind experiences.”
The park will incorporate technologies to minimise water pressure in key rides, resulting in a 50% reduction in water evaporation
Ahmed Al-Bassam, CEO of El Seif, commented: “El Seif is one of the Kingdom’s leading engineering and construction companies that has built some of Saudi Arabia’s and the region’s best known iconic projects such as the Kingdom Tower, Princess Noura University and Haramain High-Speed Rail Rabigh Station. El Seif and ALEC have formed a strategic alliance and are committed to being the JV of choice for large complex projects in KSA. We are thrilled to be awarded, with our JV partner ALEC, the contract for the Water Theme Park. We thank Qiddiya for its confidence in our JV and look forward to delivering a world-class entertainment facility together – the first in Saudi Arabia and the largest in the region.”
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