Scruffy Dog Creative Group (SDCG), a leading creative design and delivery company, has shared an inside look at its extensive show integration package for Six Flags Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia.
The project was developed in collaboration with Qiddiya Investment Company and the design team at Atkins Realis, with SDCG delivering technical design development, fabrication, logistics, and on-site installation. Detailed engineering was required to guarantee that each element fulfilled both creative intent and operational requirements.
The package included large-scale scenic showpieces, animatronic encounters, and kinetic sculptures, each created to support storytelling environments at the park. Each component was constructed from reinforced composites and engineered frameworks, with finishes specified to be robust under local climate conditions and visitor use.
Design, engineering and fabrication
The package featured key installations including:
- The 8-metre-tall Astrolabe. Serving as the focal point of the Citadel, the Astrolabe consists of six concentric rings that rotate around a 3-metre diameter AV globe. Orbs rotate at varied speeds, accompanied by projection mapping and shifting lights sequences, to create the illusion of a working astronomical device.
- The Façade Wheel Machine. A kinetic sculpture that smoothly and continually rotates, with programmable internal lighting.
- The Crocodile Encounter. This water-based show element includes hydraulically animated figures and splash effects.
- The Steam Town Clock. A drive-driven animated centrepiece with programmable audio, lighting, and movement.
- The Crater Pits. Here, animated bubbling tar pits are accompanied by embedded lighting.
- The Jeep Rocker. On a dynamic motion base, this full-scale vehicle is designed to respond to audio and lighting cues.
"This project called for close collaboration across design, engineering, and fabrication and delivery teams," says Dylan Lardner-Burke, managing director of production.
"Working with partners in Riyadh and internationally, we were able to deliver complex animated features and scenic sets on a scale that reflects the ambition of Six Flags Qiddiya City."
The show integration package forms a key component of the Qiddiya City attraction, the first Six Flags theme park outside of North America to be completely conceived and constructed since 1971.
For SDCG, it demonstrates the technical and logistical demands of creating large-scale themed environments, and the increasing part that international suppliers play in shaping the region’s entertainment space.
SDCG announced the delivery and installation of the theming fabrication package for Six Flags Qiddiya City earlier this year.
