Saudi Arabia is looking to give its tourism sector a significant boost.
Earlier this month, the Arabic kingdom unveiled its plans for “The Rig”—a 150,000 square meter “extreme park” built on an oil rig. The attraction was announced by the country’s Public Investment Fund, which bankrolls commercial projects in Saudi Arabia through savings collected from oil sales.
The Rig will be located in the Arabian Gulf, and will offer three hotels, nearly a dozen world-class restaurants, as well as an assortment of “extreme” activities, including roller coaster rides, bungee jumping, and skydiving.
“THE RIG is a project in the tourism and entertainment sector, one of PIF’s key strategic sectors, and is expected to be a significant value-add to the local economy,” PIF wrote in a statement. “Additionally, to ensure the sustainable preservation of the environment in the project’s vicinity, the project will follow leading global standards and best practices, further supporting the Kingdom’s broader efforts on environmental protection. This project is a unique tourism attraction, expected to attract tourists from around the world, while being especially popular with citizens and residents of the GCC countries in the region.”
The PIF has not announced a potential opening date for The Rig, but said it is part of the fund’s 2021-2025 strategy to diversify the country’s economy.
