New Saudi park is ‘the first Six Flags theme park,’ not amusement park, exec says
Six Flags Qiddiya City is “the first Six Flags theme park,” an executive said, differing from what he called North America’s “amusement parks.”
Additional graphic design by Attractions Magazine
Six Flags Qiddiya City officially opened in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 31, 2025, complete with Falcons Flight, the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world.
During the park’s official grand opening livestream on YouTube, Brian Machamer, park president of Six Flags Qiddiya City, discussed the project in an interview.
“The Six Flags parks in North America, I would classify them as an amusement park,” Machamer said. “This will be the first, I think, fully integrated theme park. What we mean by that is the minute you come to the park, the music, the theming, the façades, the attractions, the employee uniform, everything will be themed and will create that more immersive environment, which you just won’t find at another Six Flags park to this level.”
Machamer called Six Flags Qiddiya City “the first Six Flags theme park from the ground up with completely immersive lands.” Those lands are named Steam Town, City of Thrills, Twilight Gardens, Discovery Springs, Grand Exposition, and Valley of Fortune, each with their own theme and aesthetic, adhered to by the rides residing in each section.
North American Six Flags parks do contain themed lands — such as the aviation-themed Aeronautica Landing at Carowinds or the upcoming Looney Tunes Land at Six Flags Magic Mountain — but some are more detailed than others, and not every area of every park maintains a cohesive story or style.
Following its 2024 merger with Cedar Fair, Six Flags operates over 50 parks in North America. The company’s headquarters is in Charlotte, N.C., home to Carowinds. North American Six Flags personnel recently said the company may close or sell more of its theme parks — after already shuttering several — as the company continues to evaluate its portfolio.
Should North America’s Six Flags be called amusement parks or theme parks? Our intern Gretchen pondered this question earlier this year, landing on the former.
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