New Satellite Images Show Progress Building World's Biggest Roller Coaster
The Qiddiya Six Flags project highlights another example of how the kingdom is racing to meet its economic and developmental targets beyond oil under Vision 2030, the transformation plan launched nearly a decade ago by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
Several of those massive projects have faced delays, budget overruns and questions from human rights groups, including the crown prince's flagship Neom project, currently the world's largest construction site.
Qiddiya City is located in the Tuwaiq Mountains, about 28 miles from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital. The Six Flags amusement park is set to feature the world's tallest, fastest and longest rollercoaster - Falcons Flight - reaching 640 feet and speeds of 155 mph.
The city will also include Acquarabia water park and extreme watersports zone, as well as the world's first themed anime series park.
According to Qiddiya Investment Company's (QIC) website, construction at Six Flags and Aquarabia is now over 80 percent. The park will span more than 2.5 million square feet and feature over 20 rides and attractions.
In 2018, The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns QIC, signed a licensing and development agreement with Six Flags to build the U.S.‑branded theme park. In February, Qiddiya company announced Six Flags Entertainment Corporation as the amusement park's official operator.
The Maryland-based Six Flags America will permanently close on November 2.
Elsewhere in the Gulf, the Walt Disney Company announced that it is expanding its global theme park empire with a resort coming to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Jason Freeman, Senior Vice President Corporate Operations & Guest Services at Six Flags said in June: 'Those are the Falcons Flight, which is going to be the world's tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster. We have the world's tallest pendulum ride. We have the world's tallest drop tower. We have the world's tallest inverted top hat roller coaster. And we have the world's tallest till coaster.'
The company is now publicly advertising for its amusement park which it says is planned for opening later this year.
Related Articles
A Real New Middle East Is Emerging | OpinionKey Trump Ally Bolsters Missile Defense as Iran ThreatensDonald Trump's Properties Are Doing Better Than EverHow to Watch Mexico vs. Saudi Arabia: Live Stream Gold Cup Quarterfinals, TV Channel
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why Is Oklo Stock Still Going Down?
Key Points Oklo won some important Department of Energy contracts on Wednesday. It was far from the only nuclear company picking up DOE contracts, however. Investors are probably extra nervous today, however, over the risk of interest rates remaining high. 10 stocks we like better than Oklo › Shares of Oklo (NYSE: OKLO), one of a handful of start-up nuclear power companies benefiting from President Trump's May 2025 initiative to accelerate development of small modular reactors, fell more than 1% Wednesday, and are down another 6.1% through 11:45 a.m. ET Thursday morning. -- apparently on no particularly bad news. Worse, Oklo actually got good news (but not great news) yesterday that probably should have moved the stock higher. Instead, Oklo keeps falling. So what's up with that? What's up with Oklo going down? Yesterday, Oklo won three Department of Energy (DOE) "Reactor Pilot Program" contracts aiming to start up three small modular reactors by July 4, 2026. At first, this sounded like great news -- except that eight other companies won the same kind of contract. Apparently, Oklo's not in quite as exclusive company as first seemed, and has a smaller chance of winning future work than initially seemed the case. Oklo stock, which started Wednesday up on the DOE news, ended the day down -- and yesterday's pessimism seems to be continuing into today. Adding to the malaise is a Bureau of Labor Statistics report today that suggests inflation is speeding up again, which lessens the likelihood the Federal Reserve will be able to lower interest rates this year. Is it time to sell Oklo stock? Why are higher interest rates bad news for Oklo? Well, they aren't actually -- not immediately. Oklo's burning more than $50 million in cash annually, and may eventually have to take on debt to fund its operations, at which point, interest rates will be an issue. With more than $500 million in the bank, however, and near-zero debt, interest rates aren't really a concern to Oklo... yet. And I see no immediate need to sell the stock on interest rate concerns alone. Should you buy stock in Oklo right now? Before you buy stock in Oklo, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Oklo wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $649,544!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,113,059!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,062% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 13, 2025 Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Is Oklo Stock Still Going Down? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
21 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Switzerland is eyeing cuts to its F-35 stealth fighter order amid price battles with the US
Switzerland is considering reducing its F-35 order in response to price negotiations with the US. It said the US government had abandoned a fixed price plan, leaving Switzerland vulnerable to inflation and tariffs. Some US allies and partners have questioned the F-35 over Trump's treatment of allies. Switzerland said it might scale back its order of US-made F-35 fighter jets after failing to fix the price in its negotiations with the White House. Amid shifts in US attitudes toward allies and partners, some Western nations have questioned the jet and, in at least one case, even rejected the fifth-generation fighter for European alternatives. Switzerland still wants the F-35, considering its high-end capabilities, but it may cut its order. Switzerland said that attempts to negotiate a fixed price for the F-35A fighter jet, made by the US's Lockheed Martin, were unsuccessful, with higher costs expected as a result. Switzerland may now order fewer F-35s, the defense minister, Martin Pfister, said in a press conference on Wednesday, per Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. He said that other options include asking parliament for another loan for the jets and deducting operating costs from the purchase price, among other possibilities. Switzerland committed to buying 36 F-35As after signing a contract in 2022, with the jets expected between 2027 and 2030. However, Pfister said the defense department must now examine whether that figure is really what the country needs. Switzerland's government explained in a press release on Wednesday, that while options were on the table after failed negotiations with the US, Switzerland remains committed to procuring F-35As, citing "a significant technological advantage over other aircraft" that would help "to protect Switzerland from airborne threats." Pfister said that Switzerland must continue the procurement of the jets, or else it won't have the defense it needs by the early 2030s. The Swiss government described the US government's actions in negotiations as an "abandonment of the fixed price." It previously viewed the price as fixed at what is now $7.2 billion. In a situation without a fixed price where the cost is subject to volatility as a result of inflation and tariffs, Switzerland is unable to determine the total price of its procurement. It says that the additional costs for procuring the jet could be more than $1.6 billion, which would represent a tremendous cost growth. The government said that the unsuccessful negotiations were with senior White House representatives and that there was a conversation between Pfister and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. It said "the discussions clearly showed that the USA is not prepared to deviate from its position." The Swiss defense department was thus instructed to consider other options by the end of November, with the government saying the department "will examine whether current air defence requirements still correspond to the principles on which the evaluation of the F-35A was based." Lockheed Martin told Business Insider in a statement that "since foreign military sales are government-to-government transactions, questions about F-35 cost, schedule and procurement are best addressed by the armasuisse and US government." Switzerland is a neutral country, and while it's not a member of NATO, it is seen as a partner nation and has deepened its cooperation with the alliance since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While it remains committed to the F-35, some US allies are no longer sure. Some wavering on the F-35 NATO member Spain said last week that it would not buy the F-35 and would instead focus on European alternatives. The country's decision came after some other allies publicly questioned the fighter jet amid Trump's treatment of allies, which has included criticizing the NATO alliance and European defense spending. Trump's approach to the alliance and questions of US reliability, amid growing security concerns, has sparked a new focus within Europe on investing in the continent's defense firms. Politicians across all of Switzerland's political parties said earlier this month that the country should withdraw or reconsider its planned purchase of F-35s in response to Trump's tariffs. So far, Spain is the only ally to formally step back from the jet, which is used by 19 US partner nations. The F-35 is a top-class fifth-generation fighter that many nations want, and any country that steps away from it after already committing to it would likely encounter huge costs and logistical issues, among other challenges. The jet's widespread use among allies and partners is also an advantage. It lets militaries operate together more easily, something that could be key in a conflict on the continent. The Swiss government noted that its desire for the jet is driven by how widespread F-35 usage is across Europe. But Europe's view of the US has changed. When asked on Wednesday if the US is seen as a reliable partner for future arms purchases, Pfister responded by saying that they are not reliable when it comes to tariffs. The depth of that concern is unclear.
Business Insider
21 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Goldman Sachs says the risk of stock-market decline has suddenly spiked
The stock market's hot streak might soon come to an abrupt end, Goldman Sachs said. In a note to clients, the bank said that its equity asymmetry framework — one of its gauges that assesses stocks based on the market environment and the latest economic data — was sending a signal that the risk for a coming stock market drop had increased. According to its model, the S&P 500 now faces a higher than 10% chance of a drawdown within the next three months, and more than a 20% chance of a drawdown in the next 12 months, analysts said. The spike in drawdown risks looks similar to the spike seen during the S&P 500's run-up at the start of the year, the bank said. Goldman's equity asymmetry framework flagged an elevated risk of a drawdown before President Donald Trump announced his slate of tariffs on April 2, which sparked a historic sell-off. "The equity drawdown probability is elevated and has increased recently. Usually levels above 30% give a signal for downside risk to equities, and current levels are nearing those," analysts said. The bank said there were two reasons its model was flashing an elevated risk of a decline: Volatility in the market is low. The VIX has dropped 71% from its peak on Liberation Day. The economy is slowing. In order for stocks to do well in a low-volatility environment, the momentum of the economy needs to remain strong. But that looks unlikely, given looming risks stemming from tariffs, the bank said. Analysts pointed to "worsening business cycle momentum" and recent weakness in the job market, with the US adding fewer jobs than expected in recent months. The bank also thinks inflation is likely to pick up in the second half of the year as Trump's tariffs continue to work their way through the economy. David Mericle, the chief US economist at the bank, told CNBC on Wednesday that he expected inflation to drift over 3% as the effects of tariffs begin to materialize. "This is likely to trigger more Fed easing but it could come with more equity volatility in the event of growth concerns, especially if Fed easing disappoints already dovish expectations," analysts said. Wall Street forecasters have been on high alert for signals of a coming correction as major indexes hover near all-time highs. The S&P 500 is up 10% year-to-date and 29% since its post-Liberation Day low.
