Qiddiya: A New Capital of Entertainment

Qiddiya aims to become Saudi Arabia’s capital of entertainment, sports, and the arts, meeting the recreational, social, and cultural needs of current and future generations. Located 45km west of Riyadh, Qiddiya will feature zones reflecting the natural terrain, including the Resort Core, Motion Zone, City Centre, Eco Zone Golf Community, Aerodrome and Airfield Future Development, and Green Buffer development zones. The project aligns with Vision 2030 ideals, focusing on innovation and sustainability with smart infrastructure and digitalisation. 

Perched 200m above the Resort Core on the edge of the Tuwaiq escarpment, the City Centre mixed-use village will be dedicated to sports and the arts. Covering approximately 530,000m² across 33 plots, it will include 28 rides and attractions in six themed areas. The highlight will be the 4km Falcon’s Flight rollercoaster, reaching speeds of 250km/h with a 160m dive. The Master Plan is designed to enhance the natural landscape, featuring a transport network for easy movement between attractions. Qiddiya is currently in the design and construction phase. 

As the lead geotechnical consultant, Ayesa provided comprehensive support for the Qiddiya development. Our responsibilities included identifying and detailing requirements for tests and investigations by plotting, preparing tender documents, reviewing technical and commercial submissions, and providing additional support. The challenging ground conditions required extensive field explorations, large-scale in-situ pile and drilled pier load tests, laboratory testing, data analysis, and evaluation to develop rock properties data for designing foundations on the cliffs. Our scope also included providing specifications, drawings, BOQs for pricing, monitoring works during construction, and GIS drawings and data. 

Ayesa utilised BIM by integrating Holebase SI and Civil 3D with Autodesk Infraworks, enabling quick revisions to the site investigation layout to reflect changes in the master plan. Qiddiya supports Vision 2030 goals, including economic diversification, job creation, fostering a start-up culture, youth and female empowerment, and doubling household spending on domestic leisure and entertainment. The resort is expected to attract 17 million visitors annually by 2030, contribute up to SR17 billion to the GDP, and create 25,000 jobs.