Saudi Arabia is less than two weeks away from opening the Middle East’s largest water theme park, as Aquarabia Qiddiya City prepares to welcome its first public visitors on Thursday, April 23, 2026. The opening date was confirmed by Qiddiya City, which described Aquarabia as the second major entertainment venue to launch within the Qiddiya complex, following the Six Flags theme park that opened on December 31, 2025.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Spanning more than 250,000 square metres southwest of Riyadh, Aquarabia is not only the largest water park in the Middle East \u2014 it is also the first water park of its kind to be Saudi-owned, and it is targeting four world records simultaneously. These include the world’s tallest water coaster, the tallest drop body slide, the tallest water slide, and the longest mat racer. The park was developed in partnership with WhiteWater, a globally recognised waterpark manufacturer, and features 22 unique rides and experiences spread across eight themed zones, each drawing its identity from Saudi Arabia’s native wildlife, ancient oases, and desert landscapes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Among its most innovative attractions is the Aquaticar: Legend of the Glowing Guardian, billed as the world’s first underwater theme park ride, which uses fully submersible vehicles developed by Sub Sea Systems, Inc. The park also houses Saudi Arabia’s first surf pool and an extreme water sports zone offering rafting, kayaking, canyoning, and cliff jumping. Twenty-four food and beverage outlets and seven retail stores complement the full-day experience.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Admission for adults starts at SAR 325 ($86), while children aged 4 to 11 can enter from SAR 200 ($53). All tickets include access to rides and attractions, with the surfing experience available as a separate add-on. Ninety-one luxury cabanas are available inside the park. Fridays are designated as ladies-only days, with the first scheduled for April 24, the day after opening.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Sustainability is built into the park’s infrastructure. Advanced recycled water systems are designed to cut water waste by up to 90 percent, addressing both environmental responsibility and the practical demands of a large-scale water attraction in an arid climate. A dedicated Aquarabia Park Hotel is also planned, offering guests direct park access and extending average visitor stays \u2014 a key driver of broader tourism revenue generation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Aquarabia’s launch is more than an entertainment milestone. It is one of the most visible expressions yet of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the national economy through tourism, leisure, and quality-of-life development. Qiddiya City, the multi-billion-dollar entertainment destination rising near Riyadh, is rapidly cementing its position as one of the most ambitious theme park complexes anywhere in the world. With Aquarabia joining Six Flags as its second major venue, the Qiddiya cluster is fast becoming a world-class destination capable of drawing international visitors, sustaining long-stay tourism, and generating employment across the hospitality and entertainment sectors.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Saudi Arabia is less than two weeks away from opening the Middle East’s largest water theme park, as Aquarabia Qiddiya City prepares to welcome its first public visitors on Thursday, April 23, 2026. The opening date was confirmed by Qiddiya City, which described Aquarabia as the second major entertainment venue to launch within the Qiddiya complex, following the Six Flags theme park that opened on December 31, 2025. A Record-Breaking Destination Unlike Any Other in the Region Spanning more than 250,000 square metres southwest of Riyadh, Aquarabia is not only the largest water park in the Middle East \u2014 it<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54451,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"Aquarabia Qiddiya City Set","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Aquarabia Qiddiya City, the Middle East's largest water theme park, opens to the public on April 23, 2026 near Riyadh with four world record","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[229],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"yoast_head":"\n