Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has awarded the first contract of the year for the preparation of the site of Saudi Arabia’s mega entertainment and sports development.

 The company awarded a 12-month contract to Saudi firm Abdul Ali Al Ajmi Company for mass grading and site preparation of two anchor development nodes of the project in Riyadh: the Resort Core and the City Centre. 

The  project includes the landscaping of 7 million cubic meters of earth to ensure the site preparation of a combined area of more than 4 million square meters, QIC said in a statement.

 “This will require upwards of 500 pieces of major earthmoving equipment to grade and develop the plots, in addition to 4,000 tons of steel and 30,000 cubic meters of concrete for storm water management so that the area is ready for the next stage of development,” the statement said.

 Fully-owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, QIC is driving the development of Qiddiya project located south-west of Riyadh on a site that spans 334 square kilometres, and aims to become Saudi Arabia’s ‘capital of entertainment, sports and the arts’.

 Last year marked the approval of the project’s master plan, release of the design of a theme park (Six Flags Qiddiya)  and start of the construction of the first phase.

 Qiddiya is two-and-a-half times the size of Disney World and will include a Six Flags theme park, water parks, motor sports, cultural events and vacation homes. The first phase of the development is set to open in 2023.

(Writing by Nada Al Rifai; editing by Cleofe Maceda)

(nada.rifai@refinitiv.com)

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