Qiddiya Announces Launch of New Destination Marketing & Management Organisation

Qiddiya is proud to announce the launch of its dedicated Destination Marketing and Management Organisation (DMMO). The identity of the DMMO is ‘Play Qiddiya City’, marking a key milestone in the ongoing commitment to engage with trade partners across the globe.

This announcement signals the beginning of Qiddiya's active involvement in fostering meaningful partnerships with businesses, investors, and trade professionals. As the world’s first city built for Play, Qiddiya City is an ambitious, world-class destination located in the heart of the Tuwaiq Mountains, just 40 minutes from Riyadh. Developed to support Vision 2030, with a focus on entertainment, sports and culture, Qiddiya City will offer family-friendly theme parks, sports arenas, cultural venues, and outdoor and adventure activities.

Recent Skift research commissioned by Qiddiya City underpins a growing momentum for entertainment, sports, and cultural tourism. In a recent survey, more than 70% of travellers said that in the past five years, participating in entertainment, sports, and cultural experiences when they travel is important to them and they are more likely to plan to travel with entertainment, sports, or cultural experience as the primary reason for their trip. Notably, 81% of travellers said they would plan a trip exclusively around a musical performance or festival and 76% of travellers said they would plan a trip exclusively around a sporting event or tournament. 

In line with this, Play Qiddiya City’s (DMMO) primary focus is to promote and manage the destination and position it as a place to visit, live, work and invest. It will proactively build relationships with the travel trade, ensuring that partners are not only informed but are also actively involved in shaping the future of the destination. 

"This launch underscores our commitment to working hand-in-hand with the trade to develop a world-class destination. As one of Saudi Arabia's pivotal giga-projects, Qiddiya City stands at the heart of Vision 2030's ambitions for a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. We expect Qiddiya City to welcome millions of visitors per year and be a home for half a million people, in addition to creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and pathways for a host of new careers.” said Abdullah Aldawood, Managing Director of Qiddiya Investment Company. 

“At Play Qiddiya City (DMMO) we are positioning Qiddiya City as a destination where travellers can discover, engage and grow with others through immersive, interactive and adventure-filled experiences,” said DMMO Director General, Ross McAuley.

McAuley added, “The shift in the travel industry is undeniable. People no longer want to travel for the sake of ticking destinations off a list – travellers are seeking new experiences that push for more, especially in the genres of active vacations or major live events. We have seen the global development of this fast-growing sector as people are travelling for concerts, sports competitions and festivals. We are creating a destination which has the foundations to take the visitor experience to a different level, in a way which has never been done before.” 

With iconic assets ranging from theme parks to stadiums to performing arts centres, Play Qiddiya City DMMO remains focused on developing a cohesive destination proposition. This launch is a crucial early step, enabling the DMMO to engage with the market and respond to trade needs well ahead of an ever-evolving series of launches, announcements and activities in the coming months and years. 

As a key part of this dynamic project, Play Qiddiya City DMMO encourages travel trade professionals to reach out and explore partnership opportunities, leveraging it as a resource hub for information, collaboration, and shared growth.