Qiddiya to open first theme park by end of this year
Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya giga-project
is expected to open its first theme parks by the end of 2025, according to Accesso
Technology Group, one of the companies involved in the development.
Located southwest of Riyadh, Qiddiya
was first announced in 2017 as a flagship Public Investment Fund (PIF)
initiative aimed at transforming Saudi Arabia into a global hub for tourism and
entertainment, as part of Vision 2030. Groundbreaking began in 2018, though the
opening has faced several delays since the original target of 2022.
Phase one of the project includes a Six
Flags theme park and Aquarabia water park. UK-based Accesso is supplying
ticketing and operations systems for both attractions.
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“The main [project] we’re focusing
on [in the Middle East] now is Qiddiya, for the opening of the theme park and
the water park in the next few months,” said Steve Brown, CEO of Accesso,
during the company’s recent earnings call.
“They are highly focused on opening
the theme park this year as they’ve committed to. By all accounts, they seem to
be, from our view, on track with that.”
Brown acknowledged that final
timelines remain subject to ongoing construction progress but noted momentum
appears positive.
Massive
scope and economic ambition
Spanning 334 square kilometers
(8,400 acres) — around 2.5 times the size of Walt Disney World — Qiddiya is one
of the Kingdom’s largest entertainment developments. When fully completed by 2035,
it aims to attract 48 million visitors annually and contribute SAR17 billion
($4.5 billion) to Saudi Arabia’s GDP.
Despite recent pressure on PIF to
rein in spending, there have been no announced changes to Qiddiya’s timeline or
scope.
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A spokesperson confirmed Qiddiya
will provide further updates at Cityscape Global in Riyadh this November.
Expanding
tech role for Accesso
Accesso also announced it is
expanding its role in Qiddiya, moving beyond ticketing and licensing to oversee
technology infrastructure, including software systems, servers, and cybersecurity.
“This extension will add hundreds of
thousands of dollars of margin to the contract,” Brown noted.
The company reported 7.2% growth in
Middle East revenue in H1 2025, reaching $1.27 million, driven by partnerships
with major clients including Qiddiya and Dubai Holdings.
Looking ahead, Brown said the Middle
East is becoming a highly competitive and increasingly important market for
Accesso.
“We’re working on a number of other
leads in the region. Some are quite large — think Disney World-large. Others are
smaller water parks or resorts. I think it will become a very important market
for us over the next three to five years.”
Source:
MSN
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