RIYADH: Qiddiya, the entertainment, sport and cultural destination being built 40 kilometers outside Riyadh, has officially been incorporated as a standalone company as the Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC).
The move cements another key component in its progress toward phase one of completion, scheduled for 2022.
On the heels of the official Qiddiya ground-breaking ceremony last month, the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Investment has officially incorporated and registered the project as a closed joint-stock company, wholly owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and subject to Saudi Arabian law.
The project was announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on April 7, 2017.
The Public Investment Fund has announced Qiddiya as one of three giga-projects and part of Saudi’s Vision 2030 to create “a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation.”
Covering 334 square kilometers – 2.5 times the size of Walt Disney World – Qiddiya will shape Saudi Arabia’s multi-sector economy, help secure sustainable growth and improve the quality of services to citizens.
By providing a world-class entertainment option inside the Kingdom, QIC will allow the domestic economy to recapture a market share of the $30 billion spent annually by Saudis on foreign tourism. These funds will remain in the Kingdom to be reinvested for the benefit of citizens.
“Incorporation is a key milestone as we move from planning to performance. As a fully independent entity, we will draft our own budget and re-commit ourselves to our responsibilities, as we move forward with this project that has the potential to enrich the lives of all Saudis,” said Michael Reininger, CEO for Qiddiya.
“This step brings us closer to the day when we can satisfy the demand of a powerful and untapped Saudi market for new and accessible activities. It is for these future visitors – the nearly two thirds of the Kingdom’s population under 35, the more than 7 million people who reside within 40 kilometers of our location on the doorstep of Riyadh – that we at Qiddiya Investment Company aspire to build a better future filled with culture, sports, entertainment, and opportunity,” he said.
The ground-breaking ceremony was on 28th April, 2018, an event attended by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
Qiddiya Investment Company officially established as standalone company
Qiddiya Investment Company officially established as standalone company
- The Public Investment Fund has announced Qiddiya as one of three giga-projects and part of Saudi’s Vision 2030
- Covering 334 square kilometers – 2.5 times the size of Walt Disney World – Qiddiya will shape Saudi Arabia’s multi-sector economy
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
