Qiddiya project construction phase to start in a few months, says CEO

The construction phase of the Qiddiya project will start in a few months while the center for visiting investors will be opened during the third quarter of the year, business daily Al-Eqtisadiah reported on Tuesday quoting the project's CEO Michael Reininger.

"This year we will complete our plans and finish the primary work on the site and during the coming months we will shift to the construction phase," he said.

Reininger said the visitors' center consists of four separate buildings to attract the investors and other possible partners by the yearend.

"We will witness a large increase in the construction work in the site. We are racing against time for the opening of the project in four years from now," he explained.

The CEO said they have launched a training and a scholarship program in partnership with a number of local and international companies to train Saudis to take jobs in the gigantic project.

He said 12 Saudis were already trained to take jobs in the project side by side with a number of international experts.

Reininger said the project now has 160 employees who will be increased to 400 before the end of 2019. "We will have working opportunities for tens of thousands of Saudis by the year 2022 when the first phase of the project will be opened," he added.

The project, about 40 minutes drive from Riyadh, is expected to make annual proceeds of more than SR17 billion.

Once it is completed, Qiddiya will be among the world's top most entertainment projects. It is expected to attract more than seven million Saudi tourists every year.