INNOVATIVE WATER THEME PARK
Q
iddiya Investment Company (QIC) announced the award of a SAR 2.8 billion ($750 million) contract to build Saudi Arabia’s first and the region’s largest water theme park. The contract was awarded to ALEC Saudi Arabia Engineering & Contracting and El Seif Engineering Contracting, in a joint venture between the two companies. The Qiddiya Water Theme Park will be one of the key entertainment attractions at Qiddiya, the future capital of Entertainment, Sports and Culture. The agreement was formally signed between Qiddiya’s Managing Director Abdullah bin Nasser Aldawood, ALEC’s CEO Kez Taylor and El Seif’s CEO Ahmed AlBassam at a ceremony held at the Qiddiya Experience Center, followed by a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction. The park will cover 252,000 square meters of land and will be home to 22 rides and attractions – including nine that will be world firsts. Visitors will also 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 – inspired by the native animals that inhabit the area around Qiddiya. At the signing ceremony, Abdullah bin Nasser Aldawood, Board Member and Managing Director, QIC, commented: “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.” Visitors will embark on an unforgettable adrenalinefueled adventure at the Water Theme Park which will also feature state-of-the-art competition water sports facilities and 17 F&B and retail outlets. The park design will incorporate advanced environmental systems to minimize the use of water through recycling and smart usage 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% 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. >>> CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS NEWS ME | MARCH 2022 | 31
