RIYADH: Just outside Riyadh, Aquarabia is being developed as a culture-led entertainment destination that reflects a wider shift in Saudi Arabia’s leisure and tourism sector. Rather than importing global water park models, the project is built around Saudi identity as its core design and commercial foundation.
Saudi Arabia’s entertainment sector is expanding rapidly. In 2024, the Kingdom recorded more than 76.9 million visits to entertainment destinations across more than 400 venues and events. Flagship activations such as Riyadh Season alone attracted more than 19 million visitors, underscoring strong demand for large-scale domestic leisure experiences. The sector is now one of the fastest-growing parts of the non-oil economy.
Within this expanding sector, Aquarabia is designed to stand out by making Saudi identity its core product rather than its backdrop. Instead of importing global water park concepts, it builds its commercial and creative value around local landscape, heritage and storytelling to create a destination that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
“From the very beginning, we asked ourselves a simple but important question: What would a water theme park look like if it could only have been born here, in Saudi Arabia?” President of Aquarabia Brian Machamer told Arab News. “That question guided every decision we made; from the shape of the rock formations to the names of the rides, the food on the menus, and the creatures you encounter at every turn.”
