The park design has been unveiled for Six Flags Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia’s first family-oriented theme park, which is being built just outside of Riyadh.

“Our vision is to make Six Flags Qiddiya a theme park that delivers all the thrills and excitement that audiences from all over the world have come to expect from the Six Flags brand, and to elevate those experiences with authentic themes connected to the location. As a place that will create indelible memories and moments of delight, telling stories that resonate with our guests is a central notion that will be evident throughout Qiddiya,” said Michael Reininger, CEO of Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC).

Six Flags Qiddiya will be one of the main entertainment offerings in Qiddiya’s first phase when it opens in 2023. The park will feature 28 rides and attractions designed thematically to fit within six unique lands: The City of Thrills, Discovery Springs, Steam Town, Twilight Gardens, Valley of Fortune and Grand Expositon. The park will span 79 acres.

The Citadel will serve as the park’s central hub, covered by a canopy form inspired by traditional Bedouin tents. The Citadel will offer a variety of shops and cafes, and will be an interactive show space throughout the day. It is here that guests will travel through gateways to enter each land.

The City of Thrills will be the vision of Saudi Arabia in 2030: a future city with Arabic design motifs. Guests will find the park’s thrill rides here, including The Falcon’s Flight, which will be “the longest, tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world;” and the Sirocco Tower, which will become “the world’s tallest drop-tower ride.”

Discovery Springs is inspired by Qiddiya’s relationship between the desert and the ocean, and the rides here take elements from earth and water. The entire land will be filled with waterfalls, aqueducts and geysers, along with exotic plants and trees. This land’s main ride will be the Sea Stallion, an interactive attraction where riders are sent over rivers, behind waterfalls and through trees along a custom-designed course on their own horse – and they control its speed and acceleration.

Steam Town is where the past and future meet in a rugged frontier town powered by steam and screams. This land’s signature ride is the Iron Rattler Mine Train, which combines elements of a roller coaster with a dark ride, leading into a hydraulic lift that sends passengers into a freewill through a narrow mineshaft. Other features of Steam Town include the Sawmill Falls Water Coaster, which combines a roller coaster with a boat ride; a spinning mechanical ride called the Bull Rider; and a custom-themed climbing structure called Treehouse Trek.

Twilight Gardens is an oversized area filled with flowers and friendly creatures, and is designed with younger guests in mind. This land’s main attraction is the Twilight Express Coaster, which travels through a garden; the Critter Chase, an interactive dark ride in a 3D environment; and the Kaleidoscope hot air balloon ride.

Valley of Fortune takes guests into the ruins of an old Arabian masonry, where fortune seekers from around the world come to find fame and riches. The cornerstone attraction for this land is Spitfire, a triple-launch coaster, which will take riders into a sky roll before an acrobatic stall, and then dive back to the ground. Other attractions are Skywatch, a hydraulic boom ride that lifts guests into the sky; the Treasure Trail; and Aeromax, a family plane ride that swings and rotates freely.

Grand Exposition is a celebration of innovation and science, combined with traditional carnival midways. Here, guests can experience the Gyrospin Pendulum swinging ride; Colossus, a gravity-driven wood-steel hybrid coaster; the Arabian Carousel, where Arabian horses march; the Expo Flyer swinging ride; and Automania, a bumper car attraction themed to London cabs.

“The Six Flags brand began in 1961 when we opened as our first park, Six Flags Over Texas, which was themed according to the six flags that once flew over Texas. At Six Flags Qiddiya, we return to that heritage by creating six immersive lands designed for Saudis of all ages who seek family entertainment experiences steeped in their rich culture and history,” said David McKillips, president of Six Flags International Development Company. “We are thrilled to be part of a project of such scale and scope and are proud to celebrate this milestone with Qiddiya.”

Six Flags Qiddiya is scheduled to open in 2023. To learn more about the new park, click here.