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A world-first Discovery entertainment centre is coming to Saudi Arabia with more to follow in the coming years
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 12 Dec 2022
A first-of-its-kind edutainment attraction, the Discovery-branded centre will come first to Riyadh at the Seven entertainment destination Credit: Seven
Development company Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven) - part of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) - has signed an agreement with Warner Bros to open several Discovery-branded indoor edutainment attractions in the kingdom.
The first of which will be located in Riyadh at the Seven entertainment destination in the city’s Al Hamra district. It will occupy 3,000sq m (32,300sq ft) and will be the first such attraction to open anywhere in the world, with further attractions set to open across Saudi Arabia in due course.
“This is the very first indoor adventures centre for Warner Bros Discovery here in Saudi Arabia and we’re delighted to be launching it through our partnership with Seven,” said Peter van Roden, SVP, Global Themed Entertainment for Warner Bros Discovery. “This indoor adventure featuring Discovery content will further aid in our promise to always strive to deliver experiences that we know our fans will love.”
Aimed at people of all ages, the attraction is being designed to combine play and education, with visitors welcomed to ‘base camp’, where they will then set off on a series of adventures, broken down into missions.
In addition to Warner Bros Discovery, each Seven destination will offer a wide range of experiences, with announced partnerships including companies and brands such as Clip ‘n Climb, Mattel and Hasbro, meaning that each development will also feature several other world-first branded attractions.
Work on the first site in the Al Hamra district of Riyadh is already underway, with the project recently breaking ground. The Al Hamra destination will cost SAR3bn (US$798m, €769.6m, £664.8m) to develop and will be set over 167,000sq m (1.8 million sq ft), attracting an estimated six million visitors each year.
“The arrival of Warner Bros. Discovery as a key partner to develop exclusive indoor adventures centres in our entertainment destinations marks a new milestone in the evolution of Saudi Arabia’s entertainment and reaffirms the kingdom’s position as a leader in the entertainment sector,” said Abdullah Al-Dawood, chairman of Seven.
“With the mandate to bring truly world-class experiences to the kingdom, we have carefully curated distinctive Discovery experiences. They will add to the diverse portfolio of Seven’s entertainment attractions in the kingdom, which will enhance people’s lifestyles.”
The investment is part of the PIF’s wider 2030 Vision plan to develop tourist and entertainment destinations across Saudi Arabia, making the kingdom more appealing to international visitors as it attempts to reduce its economy’s reliance on oil while raising the quality of life for citizens and residents.
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