Six Flags Qiddiya City

Six Flags Qiddiya City is an amusement park in Qiddiya City, in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Province. The project combines the Six Flags amusement-park brand and operating expertise with the development platform of Qiddiya Investment Company, which owns the park. It forms part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program, a national strategy intended to broaden the economy beyond hydrocarbons, expand domestic entertainment, and develop new tourism and leisure destinations. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced the proposed Riyadh park on April 4, 2018. The project was backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and was initially expected to open in 2022. Qiddiya later disclosed a more detailed design on August 26, 2019. The planned 79-acre park was organized around six themed areas and was designed to contain 28 attractions, combining high-intensity rides with experiences aimed at families and younger visitors. The opening schedule subsequently moved to 2023 before construction and development timelines extended further. The park’s most prominent attraction is Falcons Flight, a roller coaster promoted as the world’s tallest, fastest, and longest. Its record ambitions are central to the destination’s positioning: rather than operating solely as a conventional regional amusement park, Six Flags Qiddiya City is intended to function as a landmark attraction within Qiddiya City and as an international tourism draw. Other planned and completed experiences are distributed among six themed environments: Steam Town, City of Thrills, Twilight Gardens, Discovery Springs, Grand Exposition, and Valley of Fortune. These areas use distinct visual concepts ranging from mechanical inventions and futuristic urban design to desert-oasis imagery, exhibition nostalgia, and adventure landscapes. Construction began after Qiddiya Investment Company awarded a major construction contract on December 12, 2021, to Saudi-based Almabani General Contractors and France-based Bouygues Bâtiment International. The project was reported as having a contract value of approximately US$1 billion. In 2024, UK Export Finance classified the project as Category A under its social and environmental risk framework, indicating the potential for significant adverse impacts and the need for continuing oversight of labor and environmental conditions during construction and operation. The park was announced as scheduled to open to the public on December 31, 2025. Ticketing information released ahead of the opening stated that adult admission would begin at SAR325, children’s admission at SAR275, and admission would be free for infants under four. The reported ticket format provided full-day access to the park’s rides and attractions. A limited soft-opening period was held for employee families and selected media or influencer guests before the public launch. The formal inauguration took place on December 29, 2025, under the patronage of Riyadh Province Governor Faisal bin Bandar and included a performance by Alicia Keys. The public opening on New Year’s Eve 2025 made the venue the first Six Flags park in Asia and the brand’s first park outside North America since the former European Six Flags parks were sold and separated from the company in 2004. Six Flags Qiddiya City is positioned as a premium, destination-oriented theme park rather than simply a local amusement venue. Its proposition combines globally recognizable Six Flags branding, large-scale thrill rides, family entertainment, themed environments, and integration with the broader Qiddiya development. The park’s long-term performance will depend on construction and operating standards, visitor demand, tourism growth, the delivery of surrounding Qiddiya infrastructure, and the ability to maintain distinctive attractions in a competitive regional leisure market.

Six Flags Qiddiya City originated in Saudi Arabia’s effort to create new entertainment and tourism infrastructure under Vision 2030. On April 4, 2018, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced that it would develop a new park in Riyadh with backing from the Public Investment Fund. The proposal was initially associated with a 2022 opening and represented the Six Flags brand’s planned entry into the Saudi market. A fuller concept was presented by Qiddiya Investment Company on August 26, 2019. The planned 79-acre destination was designed with 28 attractions divided among six themed areas. The concept emphasized a balance between major thrill rides and attractions suitable for families. Its signature project was Falcons Flight, promoted as a roller coaster that would hold the world records for height, speed, and length when completed. The announcement also moved the expected opening date to 2023. Construction progressed after Qiddiya Investment Company awarded a contract on December 12, 2021, to Almabani General Contractors of Saudi Arabia and Bouygues Bâtiment International of France. The reported contract value was approximately US$1 billion. The park was developed as part of the wider Qiddiya City project, linking its commercial identity to a broader destination intended to support leisure, tourism, sports, and entertainment in Saudi Arabia. The development also attracted formal social and environmental scrutiny. In 2024, UK Export Finance assigned the project a Category A classification under its social and environmental risk framework. That classification signaled the possibility of significant adverse effects during construction or operation and implied continuing monitoring of relevant labor, social, and environmental matters. The available reference material does not establish a specific scandal, enforcement action, or confirmed violation arising from the classification. The park’s opening timetable extended beyond the original projections. On November 16, 2025, an official opening date of December 31, 2025 was announced, together with initial admission prices. Before the public opening, the venue hosted a limited soft-opening program for employee families and selected media or influencer guests. WWE stars including Randy Orton, Liv Morgan, Omos, Tiffany Stratton, and Grayson Waller also visited during a Saudi tour connected with Riyadh Season and promotion of the 2026 Royal Rumble. A formal inauguration was held on December 29, 2025, under the patronage of Faisal bin Bandar, Governor of Riyadh Province. The ceremony included a live appearance by Alicia Keys. The park then opened to the public on December 31, 2025, becoming the first Six Flags park in Asia and the brand’s first park outside North America since the former Six Flags European operations were sold and spun off in 2004. Its opening established the venue as a major component of Qiddiya’s destination strategy and as a flagship example of the Six Flags brand’s international expansion.

• 2025

  Formal inauguration and public opening

  [1]Six Flags Qiddiya Cityen.wikipedia.org

  The park was inaugurated on December 29 and opened to the public on December 31, becoming the first Six Flags park in Asia.

• 2024

  Project receives Category A risk classification

  [1]Six Flags Qiddiya Cityen.wikipedia.org

  UK Export Finance classified the project under its social and environmental risk framework as requiring heightened ongoing monitoring.

• 2021

  Main construction contract awarded

  [1]Six Flags Qiddiya Cityen.wikipedia.org

  Qiddiya Investment Company awarded construction work to Almabani General Contractors and Bouygues Bâtiment International.

• 2019

  Detailed park concept unveiled

  [1]Six Flags Qiddiya Cityen.wikipedia.org

  Qiddiya disclosed the planned 79-acre site, 28 attractions, six themed areas, and the proposed Falcons Flight record-setting roller coaster.

• 2018

  Riyadh park project announced

  [1]Six Flags Qiddiya Cityen.wikipedia.org

  Six Flags announced plans for a new Saudi Arabian theme park backed by the Public Investment Fund and associated with Vision 2030.

A premium, destination-oriented theme park combining Six Flags thrill-ride expertise with Qiddiya’s Saudi leisure and tourism development program.

• Roller coaster

  Falcons Flight

  Falcons Flight is the park’s signature roller coaster and its principal international attraction. It was designed and promoted as a record-setting ride, with claims that it would be the world’s tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster upon completion. The attraction anchors the park’s high-thrill positioning and provides a distinctive landmark within the wider Qiddiya City development.

• Themed park area

  Steam Town

  Steam Town is themed around mechanical marvels and dynamic contraptions. Its design language draws on machinery, industrial invention, and kinetic movement to create an environment for rides and themed experiences with an engineering-oriented visual identity.

• Themed park area

  City of Thrills

  City of Thrills presents a futuristic urban environment incorporating Arabic design motifs. The area is intended to support the park’s high-energy identity while connecting speculative future-city imagery with regional architectural references.

• Themed park area

  Twilight Gardens

  Twilight Gardens is conceived as an oversized landscape for children and families. Its scale, atmosphere, and attraction mix are intended to provide a lower-intensity counterpoint to the park’s major thrill rides.

• Water attractions

  Discovery Springs

  Discovery Springs is the park’s aquatic area and is themed as a desert oasis. It extends the destination beyond dry-land rides with water-based recreation and family experiences suited to the Saudi climate and the park’s broader leisure proposition.

• Themed park area

  Grand Exposition

  Grand Exposition draws on the innovation, spectacle, and nostalgia associated with international exhibitions. The area uses the language of world fairs and public showcases to frame its rides, architecture, and entertainment experiences.

• Themed park area

  Valley of Fortune

  Valley of Fortune is presented as a land of adventure set against time-worn architectural ruins. Its environmental storytelling provides an exploration-oriented setting distinct from the futuristic, mechanical, and exhibition-based areas elsewhere in the park.

• 2025WWE and Riyadh Season promotional visit

  Saudi Arabia

  WWE performers visited Six Flags Qiddiya City during a Saudi Arabia tour connected with Riyadh Season and promotion for the 2026 Royal Rumble. The visit helped associate the new park with prominent sports-entertainment programming before its public opening.

  Outcome. The visit generated pre-opening promotional exposure; the available material does not provide campaign performance metrics.

  Source
• 2025Public opening and inauguration promotion

  Saudi Arabia

  The park used a formal inauguration, celebrity performance, limited soft openings, and advance ticket announcements to build awareness ahead of its December 31 public launch.

  Outcome. The park opened to the public on December 31, 2025. No attendance or financial results are provided in the reference material.

  Source

• 2025

  Set opening admission pricesPrice change

  Background

  Ahead of the announced public opening, the park published starting ticket prices for adult and child visitors.

  Action taken

  Starting admission was set at SAR325 for adults and SAR275 for children, with free entry for infants under four.

  Aftermath

  The announced ticket structure positioned admission as a full-day pass covering the park’s rides and attractions. No later pricing changes are documented in the reference material.

  Starting one-day admission price. Adults SAR325; children SAR275; infants under four free (Announced November 16, 2025)

  Source

• 2021

  Authorize major construction worksOther

  Background

  After earlier opening targets had shifted, Qiddiya moved the project into a major construction phase.

  Action taken

  Qiddiya Investment Company awarded construction work to Almabani General Contractors and Bouygues Bâtiment International.

  Aftermath

  Construction began on the planned theme park within the wider Qiddiya City development.

  Reported construction contract value. US$1 billion (December 12, 2021 award)

  Source

• 2019

  Adopt a six-area, 28-attraction park conceptProduct launch

  Background

  Qiddiya’s detailed concept sought to combine major thrill rides with family attractions and themed environments.

  Action taken

  The project team presented six themed areas and announced Falcons Flight as a proposed world-record roller coaster.

  Aftermath

  The concept established the park’s premium, destination-oriented positioning and its emphasis on record-setting attractions.

  Source

• 2018

  Enter the Saudi Arabian theme-park marketStrategy

  Background

  Six Flags sought to establish a new international park in Riyadh as Saudi Arabia developed entertainment and tourism infrastructure under Vision 2030.

  Action taken

  Six Flags announced the project in cooperation with Saudi-backed Qiddiya development interests.

  Aftermath

  The project became the foundation for the brand’s first park in Asia and its first park outside North America since 2004.

  Source

1. 1Six Flags Qiddiya Cityen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Six Flags Qiddiya City official websitesixflagsqiddiyacity.com