Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has awarded a $750 million contract to a joint venture of Alec Saudi Arabia Engineering & Contracting and El Seif Engineering Contracting, for the construction of Saudi Arabia’s first and the region’s largest water theme park.
The Qiddiya Water Theme Park will be one of the key entertainment attractions at Qiddiya, the future capital of Entertainment, Sports, and Culture. It will cover a 252,000 square meter area with 22 rides, 9 of them being the world’s first-of-their-kind.
The agreement was formally signed between Qiddiya’s Managing Director Mr. Abdullah bin Nasser Aldawood, Alec’s CEO Mr. Kez Taylor, and El Seif’s CEO Mr. Ahmed Al Bassam at a ceremony held at the Qiddiya Experience Center, followed by a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction.
Once completed, the visitors will be able to enjoy nine innovatively designed zones – the Entry Gate, Camel Rock, Dub Grotto, Wave Wadi, the Den, Viper Canyon, Arabian Peak, the Herding Grounds, and Surf Lagoon, all inspired by the native animals that live in the area around Qiddiya.
Commenting on the contracts, Mr. Aldawood stated that “The Qiddiya Water Theme Park will be a year-round immersive family entertainment destination, the first of its kind and offering experiences that have never before been offered in Saudi. We are pleased to be working with industry leaders like ALEC and El Seif, who will be using the latest in guest experience technologies to create what is certain to be one of the world’s greatest water theme parks.”
“The park will offer our guests a chance to experience that in a welcoming and fun environment for everyone,” Mr. Aldavood noted.
Visitors to the water theme park will engage in a memorable adrenaline-fueled adventure that will include state-of-the-art competitive water sports facilities and 17 F&B and retail outlets. The park design will include innovative environmental systems to reduce water use through recycling and smart use in line with QIC’s sustainability practices. This will maximize the fun for visitors whilst significantly reducing the amount of water needed to operate the park.
Some rides have been designed to use 75 percent less water compared to the more conventional rides found in other water parks. In addition, rainwater that falls on the site will be captured, treated, and reused for irrigating the destination.
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