World’s tallest, fastest and longest coaster to open in Saudi Arabia?
Could the world’s tallest, fastest and longest coaster in the world open in Saudi Arabia in 2023 as part of Six Flags Qiddiya? Well, that is the plan. It has been announced that this record-breaking coaster will be the main attraction at a brand new Six Flags park.
The Rollercoaster
The coaster is set to be called Falcon’s Flight and will be designed and manufactured by Intamin. The current plan is to have it open in 2023 with the opening of the brand new Six Flags Qiddiya which will have a total of 28 rides and attractions.
The records…
The coaster will be 13000 foot long. Steel Dragon 2000 in Japan is currently the longest coaster in the world at 8100 foot in length. Falcon’s Flight will be 525 foot tall. This makes it 69 foot taller than the current record holder, King da ka at Six Flags Great Adventure. Finally, Falcon’s Flight will reach speeds of 155mph. The top speed of Formula Rossa at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, the current record holder, is 149mph.
What is Qiddiya?
Six Flags Qiddiya is set to open as part of phase 1 of the Qiddiya Project. Qiddiya is an entertainment megaproject in Saudi Arabia and part of the Saudi Vision 2030 framework. This long term vision aims to diversify the income resources of the country and reduce its economic dependence on oil. Construction on Qiddiya started in early 2019. Qiddiya aims to be a capital of entertainment, sports and arts in Saudi Arabia. As well as a Six Flags there are plans to build in Qiddiya, amongst other ideas, a stadium, an arena, a racetrack and a water park.
Will Six Flags Qiddiya actually happen?
Often in the theme park community we hear about big projects being planned but the majority never become a reality. Usually, this is because of a lack of money. However, Saudi Arabia is unlikely to encounter this problem and construction has already started. We have also seen many big plans become a reality in the neighbouring county of the UAE. The Emirates is a country with a similar wealth to Saudi Arabia so making such comparisons seems sensible.
Over the last 10-15 years it is this area of the world which has opened the most amount of new attractions which gives us hope that Six Flags Qiddiya will be built. On the other hand, big projects have been planned and later cancelled (e.g. Universal Studios Dubailand) so there is no guarantee that Six Flags Qiddiya will become a reality. We must also consider the currently unknown but unlikely positive economic impacts of the pandemic and how this may affect this project.
Overall though, the more I read and hear about this project the more optimistic I become. Hopefully, we continue to hear positive news about this project as I would love to experience this coaster in 2023.