Six Flags Qiddiya opens to invited guests ahead of official launch

• Theme park opens 12 of 28 rides
• Others in final testing phase
• Designed for 15,000 people per day

Saudi Arabia’s Six Flags Qiddiya City has opened its doors to a select few ahead of its official launch before the end of the year.

The first major amusement park in the country is welcoming medium-sized groups by invitation only with access to 12 of its 28 rides and attractions.

It is one of two parks, along with Aquarabia, due to open in Qiddiya City before the end of the year.

“We’re very close to announcing the opening date,” said park president Brian Machamer. “All the rides [that have not yet opened] are in their final commissioning and testing phases, mainly for employee training.” 

The rest of the park is fully operational and “pretty much fully staffed”, he said.

The rides yet to open to guests include Falcon’s Flight, which is being touted as the world’s tallest, longest and fastest rollercoaster. It is one of five rides the park’s website claims are record-breaking. It also boasts the 63-metre-high Iron Rattler, the “world’s tallest tilt rollercoaster” that tips riders at 90 degrees from the ground before dropping them vertically at 118km an hour. This is already open to guests.

The park has a capacity of 15,000 people a day, Machamer said, although actual visitor numbers may be increased depending on opening times.

In addition to Six Flags and Aquarabia, Qiddiya will host the Dragon Ball Theme Park, which does not yet have an opening date.

On a recent visit to the site, AGBI saw a number of large buildings in various stages of construction surrounding Six Flags.

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, which is overseeing its construction, has announced that Qiddiya will feature a gaming and esports district, hotels and residential projects for 500,000 people.

On a cliff overlooking the park, the concrete foundations have been laid for the Prince Mohammed bin Salman stadium, a sports arena that is scheduled to be used at the 2034 World Cup.

Further reading:

• Qiddiya awards $1.4bn contract for arts centre
• Largest water park in Middle East to open in Qiddiya next year
• Arab Disneyland and Da Vinci: Saudi Arabia’s two great hopes

Qiddiya is part of Saudi Arabia’s attempt to boost tourist numbers to 150 million by the end of the decade. The giga-project is set over 334 square kilometres, making it two-and-a-half times the size of Disney World in Florida. 

PIF hopes it will eventually attract 48 million visitors a year and contribute around SAR17 billion ($4.5 billion) to Saudi Arabia’s GDP. 

Machamer said that, in its first phase, the park expects to cater mostly to the domestic market.

“Initially, probably our main visitors will be Saudi, or from the GCC,” he said.

“However, I believe the calibre of rides that we have here will soon transfer into more of an international visitation.”