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Qiddiya - The City of Play [General Discussion]

Danny

Danny

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I thought it best to start a 'general' topic for Qiddiya, given the amount of ongoing investment and projects that are both known publically and those still under wraps, as well as the ongoing Six Flags development.

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In addition to the Six Flags park, a newly announced Dragon Ball Z theme park was revealed today; a 500,000-metre project will feature rides and attractions in seven areas inspired by the series, along with hotels and restaurants.

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Last month the Formula 1 circuit was revealed, with its rainbow road-esque elevated curve:
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And back in December, the e-sports and gaming district was revealed. This will include multiple IP based indoor attractions with huge names attached set to be revealed in the coming months.

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Obligatory whats a dragonball z, but my my it looks amazing, almost too amazing. The F1 track looks utterly bonkers, like something from a sci fi film...thus I'll believe it all when I see it all haha.
 
It's been similar with Football, the Saudi Pro League bought many of the world's top players but half the teams have average attendances below 5000.

There's been a lot of argument in the press whether these are vanity projects, "sports washing" or if they genuinely thought people would come. I think the same applies here.
 
I can defo see a future El Toro Ryan Problematic Rollercoasters episode on Falcon’s Flight. I’d love to know how quickly it burns through wheels in the scorching Saudi sun. Considering TT2 went down after a few days for tweaking of the wheel assemblies (so I heard).

The level of investment and rate of construction is unprecedented. I think Universal UK is the closest thing we will ever see built on home turf that is even remotely to the scale to Qiddiya.

I’ve also seen a new render has been published on YouTube for the Vekoma tilt coaster Iron Rattler. Layout looks incredibly fun and quite creative with the flowing inversions and a few airtime moments. Created by the same channel that made the incredible animation of Falcon’s Flight: ML Designs.


From: https://youtu.be/kF3l-yFxKPw?si=qJIKYCvUJx7YbfCY
 
saltedpeanuts099 said:
That ride does not look real! Will I be going there to try it out oh yes,
Can we see this park really being a success? They are making all the right noises
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A success in the short term is one thing but it’s the long term that I’d be more concerned about. That coaster could very well be a maintenance nightmare for them.
 
Shaggy_Dog_ said:
A success in the short term is one thing but it’s the long term that I’d be more concerned about. That coaster could very well be a maintenance nightmare for them.
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More than likely they have the money to sink into the inevitable huge maintenance costs.
 
I don’t know much about how this specific project is being financed, and there may well be an element of vanity project about it. At the same time, I think there probably is a genuine need to provide jobs and diversify the economy away from oil. I was watching a video the other day that I think does a good job of explaining Vision 2030 in a nutshell:


From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5crXEaFOyw


Saudi Arabia’s an authoritarian country with very weak human rights, but it’s much easier to get away with weak human rights when most people have a job and an acceptable quality of life. It’s harder to get away with poor human rights when people don’t have much to lose.

Saudi Arabia’s population has grown a lot, so they do need to create more jobs, or have a growing underclass who are unemployed. And if the oil stays the same, and the population keeps on growing, then you either end up with money being divided between more people, or this big group of people who are very poor.

Then there’s the fact that the demand for oil genuinely could peak within the next decade, due to a combination of birth rates and populations falling in some countries, lowering demand, and also countries transitioning to other sources of energy.
 
The oil doesn't stay the same though, we are using it up a thousand times quicker than it is being created.
Apparently, aren't these parks empty and expensive?
Unbearably hot energy consuming monsters supporting a tourist industry that simply isn't there.
Yup, vanity social political washing and rinsing of non elected regimes, with big money... so that's fine.

Demand for oil will increase to power all the demand of the new middle classes across the east, billions of them, many with shiny air conditioning, 'cos it is getting so bloody hot out there.
Oil is dirt cheap to many nations, but it is finite.
Greening up costs...and is a loony leftie dream...

Shit shit shit...three days reading the Mail and Mail on Sunday...what is happening to me...
 
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