Universal Looking to Saudi Arabia for New Theme Park

Universal Studios Planning Major Theme Park in Saudi Arabia

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Universal Studios is currently in the early planning stages of developing a new theme park in Saudi Arabia. This move would place Comcast’s entertainment powerhouse in direct competition with Disney, which recently announced its own plans for a park in Abu Dhabi.

Related – Disney Announces Plans for New Theme Park and Resort in Abu Dhabi

The proposed park would be located in Qiddiya, a massive entertainment and sports “gigaproject” currently under development southwest of Riyadh. While the project is still in the concept phase, sources indicate that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts visited the site last month to tour the development, signaling serious interest from the media giant.

If the deal goes through, it will likely be structured as a licensing agreement. Under this model, a Saudi government-backed entity would finance the multi-billion dollar construction, while Universal would provide the intellectual property and creative design.

What is Qiddiya? Qiddiya is rapidly becoming the epicenter of Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions. The destination is already set to open a Six Flags theme park later this month, which will feature the world’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster, “Falcon’s Flight”.

A Universal Studios gate would join an impressive roster of attractions already confirmed for the area, including:

• Six Flags Qiddiya City (Opening Dec. 2025)
• A Dragon Ball Z theme park
• Disney Abu Dhabi

Fans shouldn’t pack their bags just yet. The report suggests that any potential Universal park in the region likely wouldn’t open until the 2030s.

The project faces unique challenges, primarily the region’s extreme heat, which often necessitates indoor attractions or night-time operating schedules. However, the financial upside is significant. Unlike Universal’s owned-and-operated parks in Orlando or Hollywood, a licensing deal allows the company to expand its global footprint without shouldering the massive upfront capital risks.

This isn’t Universal’s first attempt to enter the Middle Eastern market. In 2008, the company broke ground on Universal Studios Dubailand, but the project was famously abandoned following the global financial crisis, leaving behind only a lonely entrance arch in the desert.

With the recent opening of Epic Universe in Orlando and a potential park in the United Kingdom also in the works, Universal seems ready to try again—this time with the backing of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative.

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