Saudi authority to develop theme parks industry

A new Saudi authority to develop, promote, regulate and fund infrastructure for an entertainment industry in the Gulf kingdom has moved a step forward with the appointment of its board.

The Council of Ministers of the Government of Saudi Arabia has approved the appointment of the board of the General Entertainment Authority.

The authority is a government-sanctioned body borne out of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme and will partner with both government bodies and the private sector to grow the infant entertainment sector in the country.

The appointment comes hot on the heels of the announcement that Six Flags Entertainment Corp is planning an expansion into Saudi Arabia with three parks, with the first to open in 2020 or 2021.

The group initiated discussions with the government of Saudi Arabia to pursue development of Six Flags-branded theme parks following earlier meetings that were held with The Deputy Crown Prince while he was travelling in the US to promote the Saudi Vision 2030.

At the time, John Duffey, president and CEO of Six Flags, said: “We look forward to supporting Saudi Arabia’s efforts to expand tourism by creating new world-class entertainment destinations in the Kingdom.”