RIYADH: /DNA/ – The Qiddiya Investment Company announced on Monday plans for a 33,000-capacity National Tennis Centre — a world-class sports and entertainment landmark that will position Saudi Arabia as a future hub for international tennis, local grassroots participation and year-round community play.
Located in Qiddiya City — Saudi Arabia’s capital of entertainment, sport and culture — the National Tennis Centre will be the region’s largest tennis complex, built to ATP, WTA and ITF standards across all courts to attract and host some of the world’s most prestigious events, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
Construction is already well underway and the facility is being designed by globally renowned sports architecture firm Populous.
The National Tennis Centre is an important step forward in Qiddiya City’s ambition to become a global destination for entertainment, sport and culture. It aims to create a new home for tennis in Saudi Arabia while inspiring future generations through the power of play.
The announcement adds to the remarkable momentum at Qiddiya City which includes the recent opening of Six Flags theme park; Aquarabia, the largest water park in the Middle East; and PlayMaker Studios, the new purpose-built film production hub.
The National Tennis Centre will feature 30 courts — 28 hard courts and two clay — integrated into the dramatic landscape of Qiddiya City, 45 km west of Riyadh, with layered green facades woven into the surrounding Tuwaiq Mountains.
It will combine world-class competition infrastructure with elite training and wellness facilities, a vibrant public realm, and two multi-purpose arenas, with retractable roofs for climate control, to host concerts and major events beyond tennis.
The National Tennis Centre is located next to Nick Faldo’s signature designed 18-hole championship golf course, set to open later this year, as well as new homes, offices, and retail which form part of a new city planned to be three times the size of Paris.
The National Tennis Centre will play a major role in the broader ambitions, led by the Ministry of Sport, to further elevate sports in the Kingdom and encourage increased participation.
It will support all levels of the game, from grassroots initiatives introducing tennis to children for the first time, to supporting Saudi Arabia’s elite talent.
The centre court will boast 15,000 seats and will be the flagship arena. It will boast a retractable roof and is designed for the world’s biggest matches as it is comparable in scale to leading international tennis venues.
Designed to host events beyond tennis, the complex will be a multi-use area for sport, concerts, and major events. There will be six match courts, six indoor courts and 14 practice courts, including clay, with a total seating capacity of 33,000.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the minister of sport and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said the launch of the complex reflected the support and attention the sports sector received from the leadership.
He also stressed that the complex represented an important pillar in developing tennis in the Kingdom, a sport that enjoyed wide popularity among both participants and fans.
Prince Abdulaziz added: “The complex has the necessary capabilities to host major tournaments and elite players, having been built according to the highest international specifications and standards.
“This reflects the commitment to developing the tennis ecosystem in the Kingdom, as with other sports, by enhancing infrastructure and programs that support the scouting and development of Saudi talent. These efforts help guide players from the amateur stage to professionalism while contributing to the achievement of the sports objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.”
Abdullah Aldawood, the managing director at Qiddiya Investment Company, said: “At Qiddiya City we believe in the power of play; the idea that play, in all its forms, has the ability to transform lives, build communities and inspire generations. The National Tennis Centre demonstrates this philosophy.
“We are building a world-class home for tennis at every level, where the world’s best players can compete, the next generation of Saudi talent can reach their potential, and families and communities across Saudi Arabia can experience this great sport.”
