Vancouver-based WhiteWater has supported the soft opening of Aquarabia Qiddiya City, a destination water theme park spanning more than 250,000 square metres across eight themed zones in Saudi Arabia.
Aquarabia Qiddiya City has opened its doors in Saudi Arabia, marking one of the most ambitious destination water theme park projects delivered in the region to date. WhiteWater, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, supplied a broad scope of rides, engineering and custom ride vehicles across the park’s eight themed zones. The park features more than 22 rides and attractions. Four of those hold record-breaking status.
The scale of WhiteWater’s involvement is significant. Its scope spans record-breaking water slides, water rides, a surf attraction and custom ride vehicles — all supported by in-house engineering. Junoon Drop in Camel Rock stands as the world’s tallest and longest Family Master Blaster, at more than 42 metres high. Custom seven-person dry rafts, engineered by WhiteWater, allow guests in street clothes to ride without getting wet.
Viper Canyon adds a different dimension. It houses the world’s first underwater Aquaticars from Sub Sea Systems, WhiteWater’s 360-degree spinning SlideWheel®, and Hyper Viper — a Shoot the Chute water ride with a 15-metre drop. The Wave Wadi zone extends the mix further with Wadi Tahaddi, WhiteWater’s Spinning Rapids Ride, a six-person boat ride through 600 metres of rapids. A wave pool and a dedicated surf zone, Surf Lagoon, powered by Endless Surf, complete the water theme park’s offer.
Geoff Chutter, chief executive of WhiteWater, said: ‘Aquarabia Qiddiya City is the kind of project that shows why breadth of experience matters. This park brings together record-breaking slides, water rides, surf experiences, custom ride vehicles, and complex engineering across a single destination. Projects at this scale cannot be delivered as disconnected pieces. They require a partner with the product range, technical depth, and experience to help make the whole park work together.’
Mina Saad, Middle East and India manager, project services at WhiteWater, said: ‘It has been incredible for our local team to be so closely involved in this project. The fact that it so closely mirrors the concept sketches is a testament to the strong collaboration of all parties and, of course, an exceptional client. Together, we’ve delivered a destination the region can take pride in, setting a new benchmark for waterparks globally.’
Onno Meeter, president, water parks at WhiteWater, addressed the delivery challenge directly: ‘What makes a project like Aquarabia Qiddiya City epic is not one headline attraction. It is the number of different ride types, their associated technologies, and the various teams that all have to come together successfully. From custom raft design and ride engineering to installation, commissioning, and long-term operational performance, this project required deep in-house capability across the full delivery cycle.’
Image: WhiteWater
