Sky Loop sends Riyadh adrenaline junkies on a roll

JEDDAH: Riyadh adrenaline junkies can now enjoy a thrilling new amusement ride at Winter Wonderland.

“Sky Loop”, the world’s longest mobile roller coaster, launched at the theme park on Wednesday.
With a height of 52 m and a speed of 110 kph, the roller coaster consists of a group of carts moving along a spiral track, through a sharp ascension and crazy overturns.
Sky Loop stands out from other roller coasters by its track designs that are full of twists and turns known as the “Cobra Roll.”
Ali Al-Mezhar, a 25-year-old Saudi civil engineer, said the Sky Loop’s speed thrilled him the most.

“I asked: ‘What is this amazing speed?’ My friend, who is a mechanical engineer and rode with me, said that the propulsion system used in this roller coaster is similar to the propulsion system in jet planes,” Al-Mezhar told Arab News.
“No wonder that when we boarded the ride, they put on protective glasses. Of course, it is recommended to ride on an empty stomach to avoid vomiting,” he added.
Rawan Al-Daur, a Riyadh-based diabetic educator, describes herself as a daring thrill-seeker, and said the Sky Loop was nothing like the roller coasters she has enjoyed in the past.
“It was such an awesome ride. It accelerated my adrenaline and it gave me the level of scare that I was looking for, it was the scariest ride I’ve ever been on,” she said.
“I went on all the scary rides the other day at Winter Wonderland to mentally prepare myself for skydiving. Sky Loop’s thrill is on a whole other level, unlike the roller coasters I tried in the past,” she added.
Bassam Al-Qahtani, a Saudi network and communications engineer, had always wanted to ride a roller coaster with Sky Loop’s thrill factor.
“The roller coaster was so exciting, and I’ve been craving this level of fear in roller coasters. It is indescribable; from the moment I reached the peak and I saw the world shrink from way up high,” Al-Qahtani told Arab News.
Abdullah Al-Aqeel, a 31-year-old Saudi engineer, applauded the high-quality development of the entertainment sector in the Kingdom, adding that he enjoyed seeing Riyadh’s famous landmarks from the peak of the roller coaster.
“It was such an enjoyable experience in all aspects. What makes it really special is its placement in the theme park; you can see all the city’s landmarks, in particular, the King Abdullah Financial District and King Fahd Road,” he said.
In its first 100 days, Riyadh Season attracted 10 million visitors and 1 million tourists to its sites and events.
Turki Al-Sheikh, president of the General Entertainment Authority, tweeted about the number of visitors on Saturday: “With the support, guidance, and planning of the Crown Prince, #RiyadhSeason exceeds 10 million visitors and a million tourists in 100 days.”
The Riyadh Season has been one the most prominent entertainment destinations in the Kingdom since its launch in 2021 under the slogan “Imagine More.”
Its activities are being held on an area of 5.4 million sq m, and it consists of 14 recreational areas distributed throughout the capital: Boulevard Riyadh City, Via Riyadh, Combat Field, Al-Athriyah, Riyadh Oasis, The Groves, Riyadh Winter Wonderland, Riyadh Front, Al-Murabba, Riyadh Pulse, Riyadh Safari, Al-Salam Tree, Khalouha and Zaman Village.