Six Flags Qiddiya City Closes Park for One Day Shortly After Opening

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Six Flags Qiddiya City, the new theme park in Saudi Arabia, unexpectedly closed its doors for a day on January 11, 2026 – just under two days after opening. Six Flags stated the temporary closure will allow staff to complete final adjustments and improve the park’s operations.

The park announced it was closing on its social media pages just one day before the actual closure. The announcement explained that the team needed a bit more time to finish some final details and handle necessary operational tasks.

Context

Six Flags Qiddiya City opened its doors to the public on December 31, 2025, making it the first Six Flags park located outside of North America. The opening was celebrated with a special event attended by government officials and was part of the larger launch of Qiddiya, a huge new entertainment complex in Saudi Arabia designed to attract more tourists and leisure activities near Riyadh.

The park’s brief closure was surprising because it happened so soon after its grand opening. It’s rare for a major theme park to shut down temporarily for reasons other than bad weather, special events, or planned upkeep. Usually, these kinds of adjustments are made while the park remains open to visitors.

Some visitors expressed surprise about the announcement, as they hadn’t been given much warning. The park didn’t explain the closure by mentioning any safety concerns or mechanical problems.

The New Park

Six Flags Qiddiya City boasts 28 attractions spread across six unique themed areas. The park’s star attraction is Falcon’s Flight, a record-breaking roller coaster that’s the tallest, fastest, and longest of its kind. When it opened, Falcon’s Flight reached a height of 640 feet and a speed of around 155 miles per hour, setting several new records.

This new park is part of the larger Qiddiya City project, which will eventually feature attractions like the Aquarabia water park and other entertainment options. Qiddiya City is being built in stages to help Saudi Arabia diversify its economy, in line with the goals of Vision 2030.

Six Flags is managing the park’s day-to-day operations and bringing its brand to the experience, but it doesn’t actually own the park itself. They’re also in charge of running the upcoming Aquarabia Water Theme Park.

Even before expanding into Saudi Arabia, Six Flags was making changes to its parks in North America. Following its merger with Cedar Fair, the company decided to close several locations, including Six Flags America and the nearby Hurricane Harbor Maryland water park, as part of a broader plan to refocus its business. These closures were permanent and took effect in 2025.

Six Flags Qiddiya City reopened on Monday, January 12, 2026, after a one-day closure. The company hasn’t said if there might be further, unexpected closures during the initial opening period, or how it will inform guests about any future changes.

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2026-01-14 23:56