ADRENALINE junkies could be in for a treat as the world’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster is set to be build in Saudi Arabia.
Falcon’s Flight is set to open at Six Flags Qiddiya next year, and promises to reach a 156mph top speed and drop over a desert cliff.
YouTube/@ThemeParkPredictionsThe world’s fastest rollercoaster is set to be build in Six Flags in Saudi Arabia[/caption]
YouTube/@ThemeParkPredictionsFalcon’s Flight promises to reach a 156mph top speed and a 640ft drop over a desert cliff[/caption]
Falcon’s Flight, nicknamed the world’s first “Exa Coaster”, is set to be the first to go over 500ft in height with a massive 640ft drop.
The current record holder for height at 456ft is Kingda Ka, located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey.
The Saudi attraction will also be taller than the iconic London Eye, which is 442ft in height.
The super rollercoaster also promises to be the longest ever, with a record 2.64 miles in length.
It will traverse more than 13,000 feet of track, or almost a mile longer than the current world record holder, Steel Dragon 2000 at Japan’s Nagashima Spa Land.
Soaring over a Formula 1 race track, Falcon’s Flight will also beat the current record holder for speed.
Formula Rossa at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi reaches a speed of 149 mph and requires riders to wear safety goggles.
The train on Falcon’s Flight will seat 14 people, two in the front car and four each in the remaining three cars, with each row sporting its own windshield, removing the need to wear goggles.
The project was presented this week by Intamin during the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo.
“Rollercoaster fans around the world have been eagerly anticipating this ride since it was announced as there is nothing quite like it anywhere else,” said Qiddiya’s Chief Executive Officer, Philippe Gas.
“Now we are in the design stage with the experts at Intamin and the engineering team at Six Flags, the excitement is building! Falcon’s
“Flight will dominate the skyline at Qiddiya weave all the way around our destination, right out of the theme park, up the cliffside, and down the cliff face – the greatest drop of any ride in the world; it won’t be for the fainthearted.”
Saudi Arabia also has grand plans beyond its amusement parks, as the kingdom wants to become a leading winter sports centre with its own snow resort in the desert.
The coming years could see the snow resort of Trojena join places like Val d’Isere, Verbier and Zermatt as one of the world’s top ski resorts.
Trojena will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games and work has already begun to transform the barren region into a futuristic resort.
The project is part of Saudi Arabia’s $500billion (£400bn) NEOM project which has a 75 mile long sideways skyscraper dubbed The Line at its heart.
The project is the brainchild of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and work has also begun on the incredible structure.
Trojena will be built in the Sarawat mountains about 30 miles east of the Red Sea coast, an area which is 10C cooler on average than the rest of the region.
It will come complete with a man-made freshwater lake and a nature reserve as well as outdoor ski slopes.
The temperatures in the area often drop below zero in the winter and it’s one of the very few areas in the desert kingdom that sees any snow.
The kingdom will also open the “most futuristic hotel in the world”.
The resort’s developers, Red Sea Global, are hoping to inaugurate the space-aged Sheybarah Resort in 2024.
It will be located on the uninhabited Shaybara Island, situated 45-minutes by boat from the mainland.
According to the developers, the site is home to a highly diverse environment with dense mangroves, desert flora, white sand dunes beaches, coral flats and sea grass.
They also say it is home to some of the most beautiful and pristine coral reefs in the world hosting many species of birds, fish and other marine animals.
The designers say that the primary goal of the project is how best to preserve and enhance the biodiversity in the surrounding habitat, while offering a luxurious experience that will attract visitors from around the globe.
Part of the aim is to “rebrand Saudi Arabia as a top tier marine eco-tourism destination”.
YouTube/@ThemeParkPredictionsThe super rollercoaster will soar over a Formula 1 race track[/caption]
YouTube/@ThemeParkPredictionsThe train will seat 14 people with each row sporting its own windshield[/caption]