Qiddiya Signs SAR 700 Million Major Roads & Bridges Contract

RIYADH, 20 July, 2020: The Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) has continued to achieve its construction targets despite the current global pandemic situation, awarding a three year major stormwater drainage, roads and bridges contract to leading Saudi firm, Shibh Al Jazira Contracting Company (SAJCO).

“Although 2020 has presented some unprecedented circumstances, Qiddiya has proudly sustained a “business as usual” protocol, signing our second major construction contract with SAJCO and achieving yet another major construction milestone for this year. The stormwater drainage, roads and bridges will provide access to all facilities and assets on the lower plateau of our site, enabling the transport of key construction materials to the various development sites within Qiddiya’s lower plateau,” said Michael Reininger, Chief Executive Officer of QIC. “Once again, we are pleased to be working with an experienced Saudi company and we look forward to announcing even more major contracts later this year”.

This agreement includes the creation of 45 kilometers of roads and seven bridges and grade-separated interchanges that will provide access from the main approach highway, deep into Qiddiya’s Resort Core with its theme parks and other attractions, towards the Motion Zone, home to world-class motor racing facilities, and to Qiddiya’s spectacular Golf and Equestrian Community with its championship courses and beautiful residential offerings. To build these roads, SAJCO will excavate 6.5 million cubic meters of earth, utilize more than 80,000 cubic meters of concrete for the bridges and associated structures and 1.2 million square meters of asphalt for the road surfaces.

The construction has begun this month and will be completed by mid-May 2023. It will take over 1,000 skilled workers to complete the task.

“Since its foundation, SAJCO has been building important infrastructure, and it makes us proud to be part of developing a national giga-project like Qiddiya and to be selected as a key partner for this significant part of the journey. Another focus for us is to aid the National Transformation Program 2020 and the Saudi Vision 2030 and we are delighted to work with Qiddiya, as the giga project that will change the entertainment and economic landscape of Saudi forever,” said Zyad W. Suleiman, CEO of SAJCO.

SAJCO, established in 1965, is one of the leading companies in the field of contracting and construction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It has accumulated extensive experience in different fields of construction and maintenance as well as industrial, trade, educational and commercial.

Qiddiya’s vision is to create a new city recognized on the world stage as the home of the most innovative and disruptive experiences in Entertainment, Sports and the Arts. Qiddiya will continue with both heavy construction and developing strategic partnerships well into 2022, at which time it will move into the testing and commissioning phases, ahead of its grand opening date the following year.

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About Qiddiya Investment Company:

Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) is driving the development of Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia’s Capital of Entertainment, Sports and the Arts. As a core tenet of Vision 2030, Qiddiya has a dual economic and social purpose: to advance economic diversification and unlock new professional pathways while enriching lives of youth in the Kingdom.

His Royal Highness Mohammad bin Salman, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced the project on April 7, 2017. Ground-Breaking took place on April 28, 2018 and the company, Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC), was incorporated as a closed joint-stock company wholly owned by PIF, on May 10, 2018. 

In 2020, Qiddiya has progressed from the planning to the construction phase, with site preparation works currently underway, and security fencing around the perimeter being erected. A strategic partnership with DETASAD to provide IT infrastructure was also announced, building on the milestones of 2019, which included the approval of the Master Plan, the release of the design of Six Flags Qiddiya and the opening of the Welcome Center and first site office.

Qiddiya is located south-west of Riyadh on a site that spans 366 sq.km. Phase one is set to open in 2023.

Visitors will enjoy activities across five cornerstones: Sports & Wellness; Nature & Environment; Parks & Attractions; Motion & Mobility; and Arts & Culture. Development of these areas will give rise to family-friendly theme parks; sports venues suitable for international competitions; academies for sports and the arts; concert and entertainment venues; racetracks and grandstands for motorsport enthusiasts; outdoor and adventure activities alongside nature and environment experiences; and historical, cultural and educational activities. Qiddiya will also include a variety of real estate options and community services.

Website: qiddiya.com