Saudi Arabia’s transformation in recent years has been nothing short of remarkable. The Kingdom is successfully advancing toward its Vision 2030 goals with updates on its AI ambitions, giga-projects, and sports investments regularly making global headlines.
One area where Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a global leader is in the development of world-class theme parks and entertainment destinations. Qiddiya, envisioned as a massive entertainment city, stands apart in this respect. When completed, it will feature a variety of attractions, including the region’s first Six Flags theme parkand Aquarabia Waterpark, home to record-breaking rides and innovative experiences.
ALEC FITOUT, a regional fit-out company actively involved in many of these projects, sees these developments as a pivotal moment for the Kingdom. “We’re witnessing an unprecedented level of scale and diversity.
Globally recognized brands like Six Flags and Dragon Ball will draw huge numbers of dedicated fans and thrill-seekers, while homegrown experiences like Aquarabia will offer a global audience a taste of Saudi Arabia’s rich cultural heritage,” explained Alexis Bayle, Country Manager at ALEC FITOUT.
With several theme parks set to break world records, Baylehighlighted the impact this is having on the Kingdom’s construction talent pool. “Saudi Arabia is currently one of the world’s most active markets for theme park development, and so significant investments are being made to bring the best global talent to the country. This is a landmark moment for the industry, providing young Saudi professionals with an unmissable opportunity to build their networks and gain exposure to international best practices.”
ALEC, and its related businesses, which include ALEC FITOUT, is among the international organisations actively working to increase the participation of Saudi nationals in this booming sector. Through its AHLAN program, the company offers focused business and technical training, workshops, and mentorship during a month-long onboarding process, rapidly enhancing the professional skills of Saudi nationals who join the company.
The momentum behind the theming industry is also advancing collaborative processes in Saudi Arabia’s construction market. “Few industries match the complexities of meeting the needs of so many stakeholders—from the aesthetic vision of designers to the service requirements of maintenance teams, and of course, the comfort and experience of visitors,” Roberto Callerame, Art Production Manager at ALEC FITOUT said.
ALEC FITOUT, a long-standing advocate of digitalisation, noted that advanced technologies are crucial to balancing these demands. “Digital tools are essential. We use them to ensure precise documentation and change management, simulate complex structures, and guarantee the structural integrity and safety of projects we develop,” Callerame added.
As Saudi Arabia pushes the boundaries of what is possible with its record-breaking theme park projects, entirely new solutions have been developed. This has encouraged local companies to diversify into new sectors.
Alaa AlSaidi, Senior Project Manager at ALEC FITOUT added, “Structures like roller-coaster tracks and man-mademountains are fundamentally different from typical buildings. We are proud to see local companies rise to the challenge, and have been working with them to createentirely new product categories to meet the unique specifications of these projects.”
Globally, theming is a highly lucrative industry, though dominated by concentrated pools of providers. The expertise and production capabilities now being developed in Saudi Arabia therefore position the Kingdom to become a global leader in this field.
“The facilities we’ve built locally, along with the Saudi professionals we’ve onboarded and trained, will not only help make Saudi Arabia’s theme parks a reality. These investments will stand the test of time, feeding back into the local economy as more theme park projects around the world look to Saudi Arabia for expertise and support,” AlSaidi concluded.
