Six Flags set to open in Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya with record-breaking rides

Six Flags Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia’s first theme park, will feature record-breaking rides and attractions, according to plans released by the Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) on Monday. The park is set to open in 2023 in Qiddiya, a new city being built outside Riyadh designed to become a center for entertainment, sports, and the arts.

Six Flags runs theme parks across the US and in Canada, Mexico, and China. The original park was founded in Texas in 1961 and themed on the six flags that once flew over the state.

David McKillips, the president of Six Flags International Development Company, said, “At Six Flags Qiddiya, we return to that heritage [from the original park] by creating six immersive lands designed for Saudis of all ages who seek family entertainment experiences steeped in their rich culture and history. We are thrilled to be part of a project of such scale and scope and are proud to celebrate this milestone with Qiddiya.”

The theme park will include 28 rides and attractions across six different “lands”: The City of Thrills, Discovery Springs, Steam Town, Twilight Gardens, Valley of Fortune and Grand Exposition.

Each of the six lands will offer different attractions, with Discovery Springs hosting the interactive Sea Stallion ride which allows visitors to control the speed and acceleration of their “horse,” while the family-friendly Twilight Gardens features a 3D dark ride and a Kaleidoscope hot air balloon ride.

Other major rides include the Sirocco Tower and the Falcon’s Flight, inspired by the Kingdom’s symbolic bird of prey, which will be the longest, tallest, and fastest roller coaster in the world, according to Qiddiya.

The project is part of the Saudi government’s efforts to provide more entertainment facilities in the country in line with the broader Vision 2030 economic plan. The Kingdom has launched 11 festival seasons that occur throughout the year, including Jeddah Season, which featured the country’s biggest music festival, and al-Soudah Season, including the Flowerman Festival.

Other major Vision 2030 projects currently under development include the Red Sea Project, involving the construction of islands in a tourism complex along the Red Sea coast, and Neom, a new megacity in northwestern Saudi Arabia.