Qiddiya (, ) is an entertainment megaproject to be established in

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...

. Construction started in the beginning of 2019. The project is one of the tourism megaprojects to be established in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

under the auspices of

Saudi Vision 2030 Saudi Vision 2030 ( ar, رؤية السعودية ٢٠٣٠ ''ruʾyah al-suʿūdiyah'') is a strategic framework to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, in ...

, which aims to diversify the income resources of the country and alleviate its reliance on oil. On 26 June 2019, the master plan for Qiddiya was revealed, composed of five primary projects. These projects include resorts, parks, and a city center. Phase one, slated to be completed in 2023, will feature "

Six Flags Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is an American amusement park corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. It has properties in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Six Flags owns the most theme parks and waterparks combined of any amu ...

Qiddiya" as a family attraction. The master plan is to create a project that overwhelms visitors with a variety of activities. Such designed experiences are planned to be provided in a way that takes in consideration the cultural, natural and professional aspects. Thus, the natural pattern of the site has been taken into consideration. By doing so, the proposed design will take visitors through a green belt network.

Etymology

Qiddiya is named after a region which forms a slit at Jabal Tuwaiq to establish a

hajj The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...

road between

Al-Yamama Al-Yamama ( ar, اليَمامَة, al-Yamāma) is a historical region in the southeastern Najd in modern-day Saudi Arabia, or sometimes more specifically, the now-extinct ancient village of Jaww al-Yamamah, near al-Kharj, after which the rest ...

and

Hejaz The Hejaz (, also ; ar, ٱلْحِجَاز, al-Ḥijāz, lit=the Barrier, ) is a region in the west of Saudi Arabia. It includes the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif, and Baljurashi. It is also known as the "Western Provin ...

. The stated main idea behind the project is to establish a healthy, happy and engaging lifestyle place that is full of different opportunities and to encourage young ambitious Saudis who look forward to creating a prosperous Saudi Arabia.

Location

Qiddiyah City or Qiddiyah project, which is supported by The

Public Investment Fund The Public Investment Fund (PIF; ar, links=no, صندوق الإستثمارات العامة) is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. It is among the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world with total estimated assets of $620 billion ...

(PIF), will be located 40 km away from Riyadh's city center. It will have a number of recreation facilities including, amusement parks, sport areas, car and bike riding paths, water parks, natural sceneries and cultural activities. The project will provide jobs to many Saudi men and women as it will be capable to host global sport competitions and a wide range of activities. By 2030 the project is expected to be the largest tourism destination worldwide, with a total area of 334 km².

Phase One

The first phase of the project is planned to be completed by 2023. Upon the completion of this phase, 45 individual projects are to be completed. Moreover, 300 recreative, hospitality, leisure and sports will be launched. Upon its establishment, Qiddiya need around 17,000 people to be run. Therefore, in order to hire qualified employees, a number of scholarships and training courses are being held. Thus, a partnership agreement was conducted between Qiddiya project and the

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...

to train young Saudis on hospitality, tourism and sports management. Additionally, 60 scholarships have been opened to young Saudis in related fields.

Activities

Over 300 activities will be allowed in the project, including grassroots sports, water activities, winter activities, safaris.

Qiddiya circuit

A motor racing circuit has been built in Qiddiya with a FIA Grade 1 standard with the expectation of holding a

Formula One race A Formula One Grand Prix is a sporting event which takes place over three days (usually Friday to Sunday), with a series of practice and qualifying sessions prior to the race on Sunday. Current regulations provide for two free practice sessions ...

MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...

race, possibly as soon as 2023. However,

was scheduled to host the

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

race for the first time in

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...

by the end of December 2021, before the completion of Qiddiya. The kingdom allegedly paid tens of millions of dollars to Formula 1, in order to win the hosting rights. The announcement, although not officially confirmed by F1, received criticism from human rights organizations for attempting to sportswash its image. In November of 2020, the

Formula One Group The Formula One Group is a group of companies responsible for the Promotion (marketing), promotion of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA Formula One World Championship, and the exercising of the sport's commercial rights. The ...

announced that a grand prix would be held at the circuit in 2023.

Saudi Vision 2030

The project comes to fulfill the Saudi vision to increase local spending. It is expected that such a project will contribute in returning 30 billion dollars spent abroad by Saudis. Moreover, it is expected that by 2030 the total number of annual visitors will reach 17 million.

Landmarks

The project will host a number of world-record hit facilities including: # The fastest, tallest, and longest roller coaster. #The tallest drop-tower ride. #The largest

theme park.

References

{{coord, 24.58, 46.32, display=title Megaprojects Planned cities in Saudi Arabia Tourist attractions in Saudi Arabia