The incredible new £750m theme park with world's fastest, tallest and longest ride

The theme park will be opening next week (Image: Six Flags)

The countdown has begun for the grand opening of Six Flags Qiddiya City – home to Falcons Flight, the world’s fastest, tallest, and longest rollercoaster. The park and the rollercoaster are set to welcome visitors starting December 31, 2025.

Spanning over 3.4 million square feet, Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia promises a blend of adrenaline-pumping thrills and family-friendly experiences. The park will boast 28 rides and attractions, but none more breathtaking than Falcons Flight, which stretches two miles, soars over 600 feet high, and drops an astonishing 519 feet - a ride engineered to push the limits of what coaster lovers thought possible.

Visitors can also experience four additional record-breaking attractions: Iron Rattler, the world’s tallest tilt coaster, Gyrospin, the tallest pendulum ride in the world, Spitfire, a record-shredding triple-launch roller coaster, and the Sirocco Tower, the tallest, free-standing shot tower ride. 

The incredible new £1bn theme park with world's fastest, tallest and longest rollercoaster

It was previously reported that Qiddiya allocated SR3.75 billion (approximately £750 million) for the Six Flags theme park project.

Six Flags Qiddiya City is just one part of Qiddiya Investment Company’s inaugural 'giga project' - meaning an exceptionally large investment - rising against the iconic Tuwaiq Mountains about 40 minutes from Riyadh.

Future phases include a water park, a major motorsports centre, including a permanent Formula One circuit, and multi-use sports and concert venues.

Qiddiya City will ultimately evolve into a full-fledged global destination centre – envisioned as the world’s largest entertainment hub, three times the size of Paris, home to more than 500,000 residents, and expected to attract over 40 million visitors annually.

Selim Bassoul, executive chairman of Six Flags Entertainment, described the park to the Express.

He said: "It's the most extreme thrill park in the world."

Qiddiya is also a key pillar of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s national plan to diversify its economy and develop world-class leisure and tourism destinations, targeting up to 150 million visitors annually by 2030. 

The Falcon's Flight is the world's longest, tallest, and fastest roller coaster (Image: Six Flags )

Mr Bassoul said the inspiration for the project came directly from His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

He said: "Where many people saw endless dunes, the Crown Prince saw the blueprint of a global destination - a place where entertainment, culture, and innovation converge."

He emphasised that the Crown Prince’s vision included creating opportunities for young Saudis, offering dignified jobs, and fostering a vibrant ecosystem built around tourism and entertainment.

According to Mr Bassoul, theme parks typically generate 12 to 18% more GDP growth in the cities where they are built, boosting surrounding businesses, hotels, and transportation networks.

Designing and building Falcons Flight - and the entire park - was a feat.

Bassoul described the challenge of constructing 350,000 square meters of attractions in the harsh conditions of the Arabian desert.

He said: "Many people told me; it would never get done - not in Riyadh, not in 120-degree heat. But now it's reality. This project tested the limits of what is possible. It was about grit, resilience, and refusing to give up."

For Bassoul, the project holds deep personal meaning.

He said: "As someone born and raised in this region before spending 50 years in the US, I took this project to heart. Growing up in Lebanon, I dreamed of having parks like this. Now that dream has become a promise kept."

And according to him, this is just the beginning, and the journey is only 1% complete.