Saudi Arabia is planning to link its mega entertainment project dubbed "Qiddiya" to Riyadh Airport through metro railway to attract customers, a top official of Qiddiya Investment Company, the project's developer, was reported on Wednesday as saying.

Chief Development Officer Karim Shamma said Qiddiya, which was kicked off in early 2019, comprises more than 60 projects encompassing over 300 entertainment and fun activities adding that phase 1 would be inaugurated on schedule in 2023.

Quoted by the Saudi Argaam website, Shamma said the spread of Coronavirus through 2020 has not had a major impact on the project, which is part of the Gulf Kingdom's Vision 2030 and is spread over an area of nearly 366 square km.

"We are pushing ahead with construction work and development of strategic partnerships until the end of 2022...afterwards, we will switch to the trial and operation stage just before the grand opening in 2023."

"As for plans to link Qiddiya to Riyadh Airport, we have chalked out such plans so the Airport will be linked to the heart of Qiddiya through the metro... it will also be linked with several other types of transport within the city's public transport network."

Last month, QIC said it had awarded contracts worth more than $533 million to Saudi-owned companies.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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