Boulevard World (BLVD World) (Arabic: بوليفارد وورلد) is an amusement park situated at the Prince Turki al-Awwal Road in the Hittin neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located adjacent to Boulevard City. Opened in 2022, it operates primarily during the annual Riyadh Season entertainment festival and features recreated replicas of iconic landmarks from several Transatlantic and Asian countries. Besides being a high-end miniature park, it also features the Lake Lagoon, a 12-hectares large man-made lake.[1][2][3] So far, Riyadh Season 2024 at Boulevard World attracted 6 million visitors since its opening on October 12th.[4]
 | |
 Boulevard World, 2023 | |
| Location | Boulevard City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 24°46′26″N 46°36′9″E / 24.77389°N 46.60250°E |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 21 November 2022 |
| Owner | Saudi Government |
| Operated by | General Entertainment Authority National Events Center |
| Operating season | Riyadh Season |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 30 |
| Roller coasters | 3 (2 accredited as proper roller coasters and 1 disputed) |
Similar to Qiddiya, which is under construction, Boulevard World is one of the few amusement parks supported by Saudi Vision 2030 to make Saudi Arabia the entertainment capital of the world and diversify its economy away from oil.
Overview
editBoulevard World was first introduced in October 2022 when the chairman of General Entertainment Authority Turki bin Abdul Mohsen al-Sheikh posted a three-minute trailer of the entertainment zone on his official Twitter handle.[5]
Riyadh Season 2022
editBoulevard World was inaugurated on 21 November 2022 during the first edition of Riyadh Season, making it the season's largest zone.[6] The inauguration coincided with the commencement of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[7] The zone showcases recreated replicas of several landmarks from ten countries in its eleven sub-zones, that include United States, France, Italy, Morocco, Greece, India, China, Japan, Spain and Mexico.[8] In December 2022, Saudi Gazette reported that the Lagoon Lake in Boulevard World made into the Guinness World Records as the largest artificial lake in the world with an area of 12.19 hectares and a height of 33.7 meters.[9] In January 2023, Turki Al-Sheikh announced the extension of Boulevard World by the end of March 2023,[10] a move similar to the extension of Boulevard Riyadh City in 2019 which was made by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman due to its soaring popularity.[11][12] Boulevard World hosted the Saudi Founding Day, a national holiday to commemorate the establishment of the First Saudi State in 1727.[13][14] On 22 March 2023, Boulevard World concluded services for the 2022 edition of Riyadh Season and temporarily ceased operations.[15][16]
Subzones
editThere are twelve culturally-oriented subzones in Boulevard World.[17][18]
- Italian culture zone
- American culture zone
- French culture zone
- Moroccan culture zone
- Greek culture zone
- Indian culture zone
- Chinese culture zone
- Japanese culture zone
- Spanish culture zone
- Mexican culture zone
- Egyptian culture zone
- Thai culture zone
- Turkish culture zone
- Iranian culture zone
- Saudi Arabian culture zone
Gallery
editSaudi Arabia zone
edit-
Al Naslaa rock formation from Tayma oasis -
Houses of Al Balad district of Jeddah -
Salwa Palace of At-Turaif District of Diriyah
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Staff Writer; Gazette, Saudi. "Riyadh Season visitors cross 3mln mark within a month". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Holtham, Alice (26 January 2023). "Your ultimate guide to Boulevard World Riyadh". Whats On Saudi Arabia. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Riyadh Season 2022 Kicks off with Shows 'Beyond Imagination'". Asharq AL-awsat. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Fatima, Sakina (17 November 2024). "Riyadh Season 2024 attracts six million visitors so far". The Siasat Daily. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ Shabbir, Hera (19 October 2022). "'Boulevard World' At Riyadh Season Will Literally Take You Around The World". Lovin Riyadh. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Riyadh's multicultural Boulevard World unveiled in massive ceremony". Al Arabiya English. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ "Details of the opening of Boulevard World in the Riyadh season 2022 – مدونة زوار السعودية". 6 November 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Turki Al-Sheikh opens Boulevard World, the largest zone in Riyadh Season". Saudigazette. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ "Riyadh Season's Boulevard World fetches in five new Guinness World Records". Saudigazette. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Saeed, Saeed (13 January 2023). "What I discovered on my globe-trotting adventure at Riyadh's Boulevard World". The National. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "'Riyadh Season extension limited to some areas'". Arab News. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Activities at Boulevard World zone will continue until March 22". Saudigazette. 23 January 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ ANI (23 February 2023). "Boulevard World's entertainment premier showcases India's culture at Saudi Arabia's 'Founding Day'". ThePrint. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ International, Asian News (23 February 2023). "Riyadh's Boulevard World showcases India's culture at Saudi founding day". The Siasat Daily. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "أجمل صور بوليفارد وورلد: أجواء حماسية ستدفعكِ لزيارته في أقرب وقت". jamalouki.net. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ Attoun, Haya (2 March 2023). "بوليفارد وورلد تستقبل الزوار لغاية 22 مارس". What's On Saudi Arabia (in Arabic). Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "Riyadh's Boulevard World presents planet's rich cultural diversity". Arab News. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Saeed, Saeed (13 January 2023). "What I discovered on my globe-trotting adventure at Riyadh's Boulevard World". The National. Retrieved 28 February 2023.