The cliff edge platform and performance area of Qiddiya.
Qiddiya work flagged off
01 March 2020
Work on what is destined to be the world’s largest entertainment city by 2030 gained momentum last month with the award of two key contracts – the first for the site preparation works and the second for perimeter fencing of the first phase of the new 334-sq-km Qiddiya city being built from scratch, 45 km outside Riyadh.
“We have other new roads and bridges contracts coming in 2020 as well as the start of the major earthworks contracts,” Kareem Shamma, Qiddiya chief development officer, informs Gulf Construction.
“Two large contracts have already been signed so far in 2020 that include securing the entire Qiddiya site. In addition, contracts to work on roughly 350,000 sq m within the Six Flags Qiddiya site will be released in the next few months for the earthworks and foundation packages. 2021 will begin to see major building construction,” he says.
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Officials of QIC and Abdul Ali Al Ajmi Company sign the deal. |
The mega Qiddiya entertainment hub, which will house more than 45 projects, will take shape around a stark escarpment – part of the Jebel Tuwaiq mountain range that stretches over 1,000 km. The development is set on a land area 2.5 times the size of Walt Disney World, or 100 times the size of Central Park in New York.
In the latest series of construction contracts, Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC), the entity leading the development of Riyadh’s multi-billion-dollar entertainment project, last month appointed Saudi firm Abdul Ali Al Ajmi Company for the site preparation works and Saudi Pan Kingdom Company (Sapac) to carry out the perimeter fencing works.
Abdul Ali Al Ajmi Company’s 12-month project will include 7 million cu m of earthworks to ensure the site preparation of a combined area of more than 4 million sq m area.
This will require upwards of 500 pieces of major earthmoving equipment to grade and develop the plots, in addition to 4,000 tonnes of steel and 30,000 cu m of concrete for storm water management so that the area is ready for the next stage of development.
On the new contract, Qiddiya Investment Company CEO Michael Reininger says: “As Qiddiya strives ahead with its construction execution, we are delighted to begin the mass grading and site preparation of our two anchor development nodes: the Resort Core and the City Centre.
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A perspective of Qiddiya’s festival ground and resort. |
“This is the first of many announcements for 2020 and we are proud to partner with a long-standing Saudi firm, the Abdul Ali Al Ajmi Company for this significant milestone.”
Sapac’s contract includes 440,000 sq m of site clearing as part of the site preparation process, besides 20 km of security fencing and 23 km of cable barriers, as well as one million cu m of earthworks to be filled.
This first layer of security will enable a slew of construction projects, set to be launched this year, to begin bringing in heavy construction machinery and restrict unauthorised access to the site, according to QIC.
Onsite offices are being built by DuBox, a member of Amana Group. The buildings, which can accommodate 150 people, will have all modern amenities and act as temporary office space during the project construction. These offices are being designed in line with Qiddiya’s environmental and sustainability principles.
The first section of the new 21,000-sq-m office complex was completed ahead of schedule last December on the lower side of the Qiddiya project. A second complex will be established on the upper side and is scheduled to be inaugurated in August 2020.
The Qiddiya project was first announced by HRH Mohammad bin Salman, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in April 2017 and ground-breaking took place in April 2018.
QIC is looking at opening the first phase of the development in 2023, with Phase Two to be developed in 2023-2024, and Phase Three in 2026-2035. Phase One will include more than 45 projects and over 300 individual activities.
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The layout of the Resort Core. |
The masterplan of the massive development drawn up by Denmark’s Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) was unveiled in July last year, swiftly followed in August by the unveiling of the design for Six Flags Qiddiya theme park.
The masterplan has been inspired by the contrasting landscape of the area, and it respects the natural history of the location. BIG has followed the natural path of water across the site and created a primary pattern of its structure – a green belt that crosses the land and offers a beautiful parkway environment.
According to architect Andreas Klock Pederson, a partner at BIG, an essential aspect of the masterplan is integration of various facets of the behemoth development with pedestrian pathways and transportation systems through seamless design elements. All the primary transportation systems, utilities and other works will follow a green spinal system inspired to deliver a contrast between development at Qiddiya and the surrounding area. The major development nodes are attached to this central system.
According to Reininger, the development has five main development nodes: the Resort Core, City Centre, Motion Zone, Eco Zone, and Golf and Residential Community. And within each node, there are a number of programme parks. What distinguishes these parks are how integrated they are.
Reininger says the “programme parks” are an expression of these ideals contained within five organising ideas called cornerstones, which set out the values that Qiddiya represents and guides the creation of programmes that make the destination a place that is tuned to its purpose.
These cornerstones include Sports and Wellness; Park and Attractions; Motion and Mobility; Culture and Arts; and Nature and Environment.
The Resort Core – Qiddiya’s entertainment hub – sits against the backdrop of the cliffs that define a central bay. It is a mile wide and three miles long. Two intertwining pedestrian pathways connect the parking locations at each end to the various facilities that populate the node.
Also in this node there are four key attractions that surround a central retail, dining and entertainment hub along with a portfolio of distinctive resort hotel offerings.
It is in the Resort Core that the Six Flags Qiddiya will be located. Part of a global brand, it is a family-oriented park replete with rides and attractions.
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Six Flags Qiddiya ... a key feature in Qiddiya’s Phase One opening in 2023. |
Reininger says Six Flags Qiddiya will be one of the key entertainment features in Qiddiya’s Phase One opening in 2023. Six Flags Qiddiya will cover 32 hectares and feature 28 rides and attractions across the six lands: The City of Thrills, Discovery Springs, Steam Town, Twilight Gardens, Valley of Fortune and Grand Exposition.
Overlooking the Resort Core from 200 m above is the City Centre, which will be connected to the entertainment core below via a funicular transportation system. Here, residential, retail and workplace environments will be organised around two intersecting pedestrian circulation spines, which will link up a portfolio of feature facilities within the city.
Reininger says the City Centre is a 24/7 live-work-and-enjoy village dedicated to the sports and arts highlights of Qiddiya. It also contains residential and workplace environments that are focused on the creative, hospitality, and sports communities.
At the edge of the city are a metro connection and transport hubs.
To the north-west of the Resort Core is the Eco Zone, which has been designed around a series of wildlife encounters. It has a golf course, outdoor sporting adventures and several unique hospitality offerings that take advantage of the picturesque desert environment.
To the south-east is the Motion and Mobility Zone – home to events and experiences, residential and hospitality offerings inspired by the world of motion. Facilities include on- and off-road driving experiences, club facilities, and a 15-km performance driving course.
Meanwhile, the Golf and Residential Community sits near the centre of the property and offers an array of residential resort offerings and includes a championship 18-hole golf course with clubhouse facilities, luxurious resort hotel and spa, and equestrian facilities – all of which can be accessed from the villas, townhouses and private retreats that will be built there.
Operating an entertainment park in the blistering heat of Saudi Arabia is a challenge QIC is aware of.
Reininger explains: “We studied the weather and there is no one solution. The good news is there is no humidity in the area and this makes it much more addressable to sustain the temperature.
“The masterplan has been carefully crafted so that buildings and landscape will provide shade during the day to create microclimates where the use of water and air will help dramatically drop the temperature. We learnt this from the surrounding and emulated it in the building forms and patterns in the development.”
Also, the hours of operation will be shifted to after sunset when the temperature drops dramatically.
Qiddiya is keen on preserving water, and every drop of water will be reused, says Reininger.
He says Qiddiya will produce most of the water to be consumed on site by drilling wells. In addition, unused effluent from the neighbouring communities is being collected and treated in addition to devising methods to collect rain water.
Furthermore, only one-third of the land at Qiddiya will be developed while the rest will be protected and preserved.
