Abdullah Aldawood is the CEO and Managing Director of Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC), a rapidly growing organisation leading the trailblazing development of Qiddiya City, the new destination city founded on the ‘Power of Play’ philosophy and located next to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The QIC team currently comprises over 1,000 employees from more than 50 countries and hires hundreds of new executives every year to deliver on the project’s scale and ambition.
Aldawood has a strong track record of driving the successful growth of companies in the Kingdom, having previously served as Managing Director of Seera Holding Group, which he transformed from a traditional travel agency into a pioneering business spanning travel, tourism, hospitality and technology. In parallel with his role at QIC, Aldawood chairs the Saudi Entertainment Ventures Company (SEVEN), which is building 20 entertainment complexes across Saudi Arabia.
Qiddiya City, located at the heart of the majestic Tuwaiq Mountains, is not just a city, but a vision. It is a direct manifestation of Vision 2030 and Qiddiya’s unique ‘Power of Play’ philosophy. This philosophy, founded on the belief that embedding play into the fabric of a city can redefine how people live, is what sets Qiddiya City apart. It offers a positive and material impact on their well-being and happiness. Hundreds of the world’s most experienced and innovative companies are collaborating with QIC across dozens of industries to bring this vision to life, creating a city where residents and visitors can experience life as a fusion of work and play.
Qiddiya City will host leading global events across sports, entertainment, and culture and boasts approximately 59,000 buildings, including residences and support services such as schools and hospitals. Following significant investments into its world-class infrastructure, residents and visitors will also have access to efficient, environmentally responsible, and affordable public transport worthy of a modern and sustainable city.
Qiddiya City’s development journey reached several significant milestones in the last year. It made substantial progress towards the completion of several assets while breaking ground on a number of new construction projects. There are currently over 20,000 construction professionals on site, which is expected to increase to 100,000 at its peak in 2032.
Qiddiya City is not just a project, but a journey that will continue to take shape up to 2050. Upon completion, it will encompass over 400 attractions, accommodate up to 600,000 residents, and receive 48 million visits per year. The construction work on the city’s infrastructure is well underway, and the first assets to open to the public will be the Six Flags theme park and Aquarabia, its water theme park, scheduled for the end of 2025. Other significant projects under development include the construction of private golf courses, the motorsports track, and the gaming and esports district. This is just the beginning of the potential that Qiddiya City holds.
The project is expected to attract investments across a wide array of sectors in the coming 20 to 30 years and become a key driver of economic diversification in the Kingdom.