Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz patronized in Riyadh on Saturday the laying of the foundation stone for Al-Qiddayah project, a new recreational, sports and cultural landmark that will be established in the Saudi capital. The Monarch was received at the venue by Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Secretary General of the Constituent Assembly for Establishing Al-Qiddayah Project at the Public Investment Fund Dr. Fahd bin Abdullah Tunisi and Governor of Dharma Governorate Sultan bin Saad Al-Sidairi. During a speech at the ceremony, project CEO Michael Reininger said the project is aimed at building a bright future through a range of recreational sports and cultural performances within new facilities that cater to everyone from amusement parks to game cities, racing fields and safaris. He added that the project is based on five main pillars: parks and attractions, mobility, nature and the environment, sports and health, culture, arts and education. He called on investors, innovators and operators from around the world to explore what a unique project Al-Qiddayah can offer. The project represents a basic building block within the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which will contribute to the new momentum for the growth of creative industries in Saudi Arabia, he added. Reininger noted that two thirds of the Saudi people are almost under the age of 35 and more than 7 million people within an area no larger than 40 kilometers from the project site, which represents a huge untapped market to international investors. The project is more than 2.5 times the size of Disney World, or 100 times the size of New York’s Central Park. It will receive 17 million visitors by 2030, attracting 12 million shopping trips and 2 million visits to various hospitality facilities, he said. He stressed: "By providing activities and events that match the expectations and imagination of our visitors, Al-Qiddayah will succeed in recovering some of the annual Saudi spending on tourism and leisure activities outside of the Kingdom, amounting to about $30 billion. “This will be used to stimulate the local economy and the development of a large number of new projects. These efforts will also result in job opportunities for Saudis in many innovative areas of work. By 2030, we expect to provide 57,000 new jobs for Saudi nationals in this growing sector.” The project is one of the many qualitative achievements that the Kingdom will achieve in the coming years, Reininger said. It is one of three major projects of the Public Investment Fund under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Chairman of the Public Investment Fund. Reininger expressed his thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince for supporting this pioneering initiative. King Salman then laid the foundation stone for the project as he put the last piece of the project logo. The 334 sq. km Al-Qiddayah project will include recreational options and sports and cultural activities in innovative design facilities, including toy cities and recreation centers. It will also boast sports facilities capable of hosting world-class competitions, training academies, desert and asphalt tracks for motor sports enthusiasts, water and snow recreation activities, outdoor adventure activities, safari and nature experiences, as well as historical, cultural and scientific activities. The project will also include shopping centers, restaurants, cafes, hotels, real estate projects and services that meet the aspirations of all segments of society.