Credit: Inside The MagicThe global theme park wars are starting to heat up. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Universal and its parent company, Comcast, are in the early stages of planning to bring a theme park to Saudi Arabia. This revelation comes just days after Universal received final approval to begin building its new Universal United Kingdom theme park.
According to the report, Comcast’s Brian Roberts visited Saudi Arabia last month for an investment conference and toured the country’s Qiddiya Entertainment and Sports Complex. The new theme park will be entirely financed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with Universal lending its intellectual property to the park.
Six Flags Qiddiya City is set to open on New Year’s Eve and will be the largest theme park in Saudi Arabia. The new Six Flags Park, the first one for the company outside North America, is paid for by the Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC), a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Much like what is expected from the deal between Universal and Saudi Arabia, Six Flags licenses its IP for the park, and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund picks up the tab.
In May, Disney shocked the world by announcing a partnership with Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, to open Disney’s first Middle Eastern theme park in the United Arab Emirates. It’s been 15 years since Disney announced its last theme park opening, with Shanghai Disneyland opening in 2016.
Miral will own and operate the new theme park, with Disney providing its intellectual property and Disney Imagineering providing the oversight and creative design. Disney’s new park will join Sea World Abu Dhabi and Warner Bros. World on Yas Island.
To keep up with Disney, Universal is expanding its brand globally and nationwide. Beyond its two new international parks, Universal Kids is set to open in Texas in May 2026. Universal could bring its multitude of IPs, including Harry Potter, Nintendo, Jurassic Park/World, and the Fast and the Furious, to its new worldwide parks.
Neither Comcast nor Universal has confirmed the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on the new theme park in Saudi Arabia. However, when the Journal reached out for comment, neither denied that the park was coming either.
With Disney and Universal following each other around the globe, the only question for the two theme park giants left to answer is where they will head next. It’s a big world, and everyone needs a new theme park.
What do you think of Universal opening a theme park in Saudi Arabia? Let us know in the comments.