The Rig, Saudi Arabia’s planned theme park on a former offshore oil platform, will feature a technology-driven immersive theatre experience.
The 300,000-square-metre destination will have 800 hotel rooms, 70 attractions, and 11 restaurants across four rigs – the Jackup, the Derrick, the Riser, and the Moonpool.
It will also feature an amusement park and a splash park, an esports venue, and an immersive theatre experience.
Raed Bakhrji, The Rig’s chief executive, says the immersive show on the Jackup rig is a world first. He told the National: “It’s going [to] have the first fully immersive theatre in the world where it allows the visitors to be part of the show versus watching a show.
“When people arrive at this Jackup rig, they’re immediately inside this action-adventure story, where they get to learn and experience something very new using a lot of technology.”
He added, “There are also a lot of actors that play specific roles and the experience is being enabled by virtual or augmented reality in some ways.
“It allows the guests to have a more live and more engaged experience than just sitting and watching a show.”
The Derrick will house an amusement park, while the Riser will offer extreme sports experiences.
“The Derrick has a 6,000-person open-air multipurpose arena, capable of hosting a multitude of events, alongside an amusement park,” said Bakhrji.
The Rig has capacity for 10,000 daily guests
“[The Riser] has a very nice extreme sports and adventure park. We also have a splash park that is our spin on conventional water parks, as well as hotel and dining options.”
As for the Moonpool, this boasts a diving centre and an underwater restaurant. “For those who don’t dive, underwater submarines will provide a unique view of The Rig from beneath the water,” Bakhrji said.
Located 40 kilometres off Saudi Arabia‘s east coast, The Rig will only be accessible by helicopter, ferry, yacht or cruise ship.
“We aim to attract around a million guests a year by the time the project reaches full maturity. It’s designed to accommodate more than 10,000 visitors a day,” Bakhrji added.
Images courtesy of the Public Investment Fund
