Saudi Arabia to develop water park, opera house by 2020

Saudi Arabia has revealed plans to develop cinemas, amusement parks, zoos, and an opera house by 2020 under its recently announced Quality of Life program. 

The initiative aims to promote “new options for participation in cultural events as well as entertainment and sporting activities that contribute to the quality of life,” the Kingdom said in a statement on Thursday.

The total expenditure in sectors related to the program will reach SAR 130 billion ($34.6 billion) by 2020.

Of this, SAR 74.5 billion ($19.8 billion) will constitute direct investment in the program.

Government capital expenditure will surpass SAR 50 billion ($13.3 billion) by 2020, and investments available to the private sector will amount to around SAR23.7 billion ($6.3 billion) for the same period.

According to the official document of the program, by 2020, Saudi Arabia aims to develop 45 cinemas, three amusement parks, 16 family entertainment centers, and 11 museums, among other venues. 

The program aims to establish two opera houses; the first one in Riyadh as part of Royal Arts Complex project and the other in Jeddah on the Arts and Culture Island.

Further details of the targets are in the infographic below: