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Contractors are engaged with tendering for the contract to build the performance arts centre at Qiddiya entertainment city.

MEED understands that the firms submitted the first stage bids late last year. The stage two bids are due in May this year.

The gigaproject developer Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) issued the tender in September last year.

The centre will have over 3,000 seats in three theatres. It will also include a cantilevered amphitheatre overlooking Qiddiya City’s lower plateau, with a 500-seat centre suspended from above.

In June last year, MEED exclusively reported that QIC had appointed Dubai-based Brewer Smith Brewer Gulf and US-headquartered Tom Wiscombe Architecture as the lead designers for the project.

The unveiling of the Qiddiya City Performing Arts Centre follows the announcement of several other projects within the development, including an e-games arena, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports track, the Dragon Ball and Six Flags theme parks, and Aquarabia.

QIC has also achieved key construction milestones on several schemes that are in the execution phase at the gigaproject.

In an update on its website, QIC said that the overall construction works on the Six Flags Qiddiya City project have reached 89% completion, while the Aquarabia theme park is at 84% and the golf courses are at 77%.

The construction of the development’s first bridge, which spans about 1 kilometre, is also 99% complete.

The Qiddiya entertainment city project is one of Saudi Arabia’s five official gigaprojects, covering 360 square kilometres.

The project is a key part of Riyadh’s strategy to boost leisure tourism in the kingdom. According to GlobalData, leisure tourism in Saudi Arabia has experienced significant growth in recent years. Domestic leisure tourism trips have increased to 33.76 million in 2023 from 16.74 million in 2018. International tourist arrivals for recreational purposes have increased by 600% from 2018 to 2023.

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