More than 100 hikers take part in Tuwaiq Mountains Challenge

The experienced hikers were followed closely by drone cameras and an in-car camera team that captured the adventure. (Supplied)

• Qiddiya is one of three Saudi giga-projects, on top of Neom and the Red Sea project, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

RIYADH: The Qiddiya Investment Co. (QIC) partnered with the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation and the Masarat Adventure Club to organize the Tuwaiq Mountains Challenge.
The trek, which started at 7 a.m. on Saturday and ended at 4 p.m., was the first in a series of events organized by the federation.
The challenge, which included more than 100 hikers, involved a 25-km trek through the majestic Tuwaiq mountain range.
The federation’s chairman, Prince Bandar bin Khaled, expressed his excitement in partnering with the QIC and the Masarat Adventure Club to organize the hike.
“Our ancestors traveled through the Tuwaiq Mountains for trade and to hunt, and that inspired us to organize the challenge,” he said.
Promoting the importance of physical fitness as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform plan is one of the objectives of the federation, he added.
The experienced hikers were followed closely by drone cameras and an in-car camera team that captured the adventure.
Ten QIC staff members took part in the trek, led by Almamoun Alshingiti, the company’s executive director for sports development, who expressed his pleasure at its continued expansion of partnerships with local agencies.
“One of the priorities of the QIC is to cultivate productive and meaningful relationships with the local community,” he said.
“We are committed to collaborating with organizations like Masarat and the Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation to give adventurers access to Qiddiya’s impressive site,” he added.
“We look forward to many more events with these groups … as we seek to expand the entertainment, recreation and leisure opportunities available in the Kingdom.”
Qiddiya is one of three Saudi giga-projects, on top of Neom and the Red Sea project, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The project targets local, regional and international tourists and will be Saudi Arabia’s pre-eminent entertainment, sports and cultural destination that embodies the Saudi identity.
It is expected to be the world’s largest entertainment city by 2030, with a total area of 334 square kilometers, surpassing Walt Disney World in Florida, which is only 110 sq. km.
Qiddiya is 40km away from the center of Riyadh city. It bears the name of the area, and it has spectacular views of mountains, valleys and desert views. The presence of this tourist destination near the largest Saudi city in terms of population will allow it to target eight million visitors from around Riyadh and about 45 million visitors from the Arabian Gulf region.
The youth demographic will be the main contributor to Qiddiya’s success since two-thirds of the Saudi population is under the age of 35.
Therefore, the project aims to satisfy the recreational, social and cultural needs of the country’s current and future generations.