Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya entertainment city’s inauguration rescheduled

The launch of construction for Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya entertainment city has been rescheduled for Saturday 28 April.

The nation had previously planned to inaugurate the city with a foundation stone ceremony on Wednesday 25 April.

The reasons behind the delay have not been explained.

“King Salman will inaugurate next Saturay the Qiddiya project, which is the new entertainment, sports and cultural destination in the Kingdom,” announced the Saudi Press Angency.

The inauguration is to be led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

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The 334sqkm city will be developed in Al-Qiddiya, 40km from the nation’s capital city, Riyadh, with Phase One of the project expected to be complete by 2022.

“About two-thirds of the kingdom's population is under the age of 35. There is a great need for the Qiddiya Project to provide them with entertainment,” stated Dr Fahd bin Abdullah Tounsi, Secretary General of the Foundation Council of Qiddiya Project.

“There is a great need for the Qiddiya Project to provide them with entertainment.”

“The project will save about $30bn (SAR112.5bn), which will be used to develop the domestic economy and create new job opportunities for Saudi youth.”