World’s tallest and fastest roller coaster opens at Saudi Arabia’s $1bn theme park

Saudi Arabia officially opened Six Flags Qiddiya City on 31 December 2025, marking the first Six Flags theme park outside North America. The US$1 billion development is the first operational component of the wider Qiddiya City, a flagship initiative under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 programme aimed at diversifying the national economy through tourism, entertainment, and culture.

The park features 28 rides and attractions distributed across six themed zones, including five record-breaking installations. Its headline attraction, Falcon’s Flight, is currently the world’s tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster, standing 195 metres high and reaching speeds of 155 mph (250 km/h). Other notable engineering features include Gyrospin, the world’s tallest pendulum ride at 53 metres, and Iron Rattler, the tallest tilt-coaster globally.

The development integrates complex structural systems designed to accommodate extreme dynamic loads, high-speed rail-style launch mechanisms, and large-scale reinforced concrete and steel frameworks adapted to the Tuwaiq Mountain terrain.

By 2030, Qiddiya City is expected to support approximately 85,000 jobs and contribute an estimated SAR 44 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP. Additional phases will introduce Aquarabia water park, motorsport venues, and cultural attractions, reinforcing the site’s role as a long-term national infrastructure investment rather than a standalone leisure project.