The theme park business is a roller coaster, using new technologies to build rides that are faster, higher, longer – but also more engaging.
Qiddiya Entertainment City lies roughly 45km from Riyadh and is a leading component of Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to establish Saudi Arabia as a global economic and cultural leader. One objective is to increase tourism – and roller coasters are well on the way to achieving that goal.
Within Qiddiya’s Six Flags theme park, construction of Falcon’s Flight is well advanced. When completed it will be the fastest, tallest and longest coaster in the world.
It will take a 600ft drop off a cliff edge and then ascend a 640ft ‘airtime’ tower (‘airtime’ because riders experience weightlessness or even a more intense pushing out of their seat). The tower on its closest rival, Kingda Ka in New Jersey, is a mere 456ft. Both coasters were designed by serial coaster envelope pusher Intamin of Liechtenstein.
Falcon’s speed will reach a maximum...