If you have seen the main sights in Riyadh and still have some time left, a day trip or at least a half-day trip to the city’s surrounding area is a good idea. Remember, though, that you should take good shoes with non-slip tread soles for this.
‘Edge of the World’
Located about halfway from Riyadh to Ushaiger, this natural wonder is a hotspot for those who want to enjoy a dramatic view of a lowland plain from a higher point, especially at sunset in summer.
The unsecured viewpoint is located on the plateau of the Tuwayq Escarpment at the end of a steep slope that drops about 200 m. Do not leave your children unattended under any circumstances. Due to a tragic fatal car accident at this unsecured site in October 2021, Saudi authorities closed the site for some time, but now you can visit it again (as of December 2022).
‘Faisal’s Finger’
Again about halfway between Edge of the World and Riyadh rises the impressive rock solitaire Qadmat Al-Saqtah, which rises about 200 meters from the plain and is better known by the nickname Faisal’s Finger because of its distinctive shape. A four-wheel drive around the base allows one to discover the many different aspects of the rock. Of course, there are magnificent views along the hiking trails, and even rock climbers may try to climb this marvellous rock; a starting point is near Makkah Al Mukarramah Rd (40).
Quiddiya City
The ‘Edge of the World’ and ‘Faisal’s Finger’ will soon become less popular destinations, even though the former is already overcrowded today and ceased to be a little-known secret many years ago – namely once Project Qiddiya is fully completed.
Since work began in 2021, it has been rapidly nearing completion; parts of it are already open to visitors.
What is Qiddiya and where is it?
It is situated in the south-west of Riyadh north to the Mashriq Route 80 towards Jeddah and begins right at the foot of the Tuwaiq Escarpment, which runs north-south and on whose plateau the city of Riyadh lies.
It is intended to serve as a place of residence and work for around 500,000 people and is set to become the (not only) Saudi centre for leisure, sport, entertainment (and culture?) – an unimaginably vast fairground, an amusement park of superlatives.
Qiddiya City will be located approximately 45 km from downtown Riyadh and 70 km from King Khalid International Airport, and upon completion will cover an area roughly three times the size of Paris, one can read.
Among other things, the world’s fastest and largest rollercoaster, ‘Falcon’s Flight’, is to be built in the city. Aquarabia Qiddiya City, a water theme park of superlatives, opened in early 2026. In the huge Speed Park Track, the engines of racing cars will roar and tyres will screech. The Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Stadium, with a capacity of around 60,000, is set to host matches during the 2034 FIFA World Cup, as well as concerts and boxing events. A huge golf course and a horse racing track are set to be further highlights. Other attractions, such as a Mercedes-Benz AMG theme park or public parks, are also planned.
I haven’t yet looked at the progress of the construction so far, and it remains to be seen whether all these gigantic plans can actually be realised. The future will show whether Saudi Arabia really needed something like this.
