I would love to hear what everyone is thinking about the upcoming Six Flags Qiddiya park in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, is this something that you want to see me covering here on Theme Park Insider?
Obviously, I am going to note the basics. This is news in the theme park business, after all. But is this a project that captures your interest enough that you want more in-depth, or even in-person, coverage from me or a Theme Park Insider writer?
Let's start with my thoughts, for context. Travel is a good thing, even if the means by which we travel can create environmental problems which we all need to be mindful of. But connecting with people from different places and cultures helps people better understand each other. (See Rick Steves' "Travel as a Political Act" for great insight on that.) That said, people should be entitled to spend their money as they see fit. If you don't want to spend your money with a company or in a destination you do not like, that's your choice.
I could find serious, justifiable human rights and social justice reasons not to visit pretty much any country on Earth, including the one I live in - the USA. If I wanted to hold out for a perfect destination, I would not go anywhere, but I also could not stay home, either. That said, I can't say that I am eager to visit any country with a recent track record of imprisoning or killing American journalists and, uh, well... yeah. (Google "Jamal Khashoggi" for context.)
Sure, we are a theme park/travel site, but we do write about the social context of theme park attractions from time to time, as providing context is an important element in any responsible artistic criticism. Part of covering any new park is reviewing it, so writing about its relevant social context is fair game. Would writing about that put a Theme Park Insider correspondent on the ground in Saudi Arabia at risk? That's not something that I can agree to.
But do I want to ride Falcons Flight? Heck, yes - I cannot imagine that any roller coaster fan would say no to that, were the ride built at Cedar Point or some other established park like that. Do I want to cover and support the work of the thousands of creative and engineering professionals who have worked on this park? Absolutely. Supporting the work on industry insiders is part of what I want to do with Theme Park Insider.
Yet I also know that some industry pros - including those who have worked on projects in the UAE - have declined to work in and for Saudi Arabia, at risk to their careers. I also know fellow reporters who have decided not to travel to Saudi Arabia to cover this park.
So all this leads me to you. What do you think? What do you want to read and see from me on this? Are you looking for in-depth, on-site coverage of this park, or are you on the other end and actively looking to avoid any site that is covering this project in person?
Any thoughts and insight are appreciated as I put together my coverage plans for 2025. Thanks.
It's not worth it just for Six Flags. Unless you were willing to spend the time and money finding a socially responsible tourism vendor within Saudi Arabia, overall the country isn't ready for broad tourism.
I agree with JonathanK.
Any major theme park news should be covered and this would certainly qualify. I’m sure there are many like me who would not go for political/social reasons but find the details of the park interesting. And for those considering visiting an objective evaluation of the park, nearby accommodations, ease of travel, etc would be of benefit in making an informed decision. If nothing else, it could provide you a likely entry for a world’s 20 best roller coasters segment we would all enjoy…
Regardless of anyone's personal thoughts on the project, there's no denying that Six Flags Qiddiya City is a major undertaking that will likely affect the global theme park industry as a whole. For that reason, I think it's necessary to cover the milestones related to the project even if that's the extent of the coverage. I have seen some enthusiast pages that are simply refusing to share any coverage of the project, and while I understand their reasoning I personally disagree with their decision on a project of this magnitude.
Should you or anyone else actually venture across the world to visit the park once it opens, I would also welcome all coverage of the park itself as would be done for any other theme park. As someone who is unlikely to visit the park in the foreseeable future (and might possibly never get the chance to), I'd love to actually see what it contains and decide for myself if it's somewhere worth a stop on a venture to the Middle East or whether it's all superlatives with very little substance behind them. I fully understand that the location does carry a lot of baggage, but I'm also of the opinion that just because a place doesn't hold the same values we do in America doesn't mean it should automatically be dismissed, so I think anyone who is comfortable going should be able to share their experience how they see fit. Even if it strays into the socio-political realm, I am perfectly fine with anything posted that is based on what someone experienced first-hand.
What I do not want to see, however, are pieces intended to be persuasive or to provoke controversial discussions. Anything travel related that concerns anything beyond the property that isn't strictly a logistical concern must be avoided, as well as anything discussing issues in that part of the world that do not have a visible direct impact on the park. It's fair for someone considering a trip to take those issues into consideration, but this is not the appropriate forum to be bringing that discussion up.
I would never support any country that outright bans my existence so I would never visit or spend any money in them. Being a Theme park website however I would not be upset if you covered the parks in dept or even visited them to report back for those who do wish to see what they look like. I would also not mind if you didn't cover them at all. Whatever you decide Robert I'll still check back everyday for more news. :)
Here are my thoughts...
1. SFQ is absolutely a MASSIVE theme park story, and deserves to be covered by ALL media, particularly travel and theme park-focused outlets.
2. If I were offered an all-expenses trip to cover the new park and was assured that my honest review of the resort was not censored or impacted in any way, I would probably jump at the chance.
3. Any review or story about SFQ should include a disclaimer that not only includes what accommodations were provided to create the review/story, but also outline the facts surrounding the questionable morals of the KSA and their deplorable human rights record and past treatment of independent journalists.
The way I look at it, if KSA wants to open itself up to the world for tourism, they should be prepared for the criticism that comes with it, whether they like it or not. They might be able to spend endless amounts of money to court the world, but all that money should not be used to buy compliance or any whitewashing or revisionist's history of the regime's heinous past.
I think Russell captured my thoughts exactly.
I’d like to see coverage of Six Flags Qiddiya, especially Falcon’s Flight. When it was first announced, I honestly doubted it would ever come to fruition, so seeing a ride of this scale actually come to life is very cool. It’s not every day a theme park of this scale and ambition opens, and I think the ride’s unique design, along with the park itself, deserves attention.
That said, I don’t know if I’d ever make it to Saudi Arabia to visit the park myself, which is why I’d appreciate the coverage. I also think it’s important to recognize the social and political context around the park, as you have been, with any coverage about the park.