Qiddiya Investment Company is setting up a world-class centre for international tennis in Saudi Arabia that will be future hub for elite international competition. The new National Tennis Centre adds to the remarkable momentum at Qiddiya City, including the recent opening of Six Flags theme park and Aquarabia water park.
Located in Qiddiya City – Saudi Arabia's capital of entertainment, sport, and culture – the National Tennis Centre will be the region’s largest tennis centre, built to ATP, WTA and ITF standards across all courts to attract and host some of the world’s most prestigious events.
Work has already started on the National Tennis Centre, a landmark sports facility which has been designed by globally renowned sports architecture firm Populous.
As the region’s largest tennis centre, the National Tennis Centre features 30 courts – 28 hard courts and two clay courts – integrated into the dramatic landscape of Qiddiya City, 45km west of Riyadh, with layered green facades woven into the surrounding Tuwaiq Mountains, said QIC in a statement..
It combines 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 which can host concerts and major events beyond tennis. The National Tennis Centre is located next to a Sir Nick Faldo signature designed 18-hole Championship golf course set to open later this year, as well as future new homes, offices, and retail as part of a new city planned to be three times the size of Paris, it stated.
The announcement of the National Tennis Centre adds to the remarkable momentum at Qiddiya City, including the recent opening of Six Flags theme park, Aquarabia, the Middle-East’s largest water park, and PlayMaker Studios, the new purpose-built film production hub.
The National Tennis Centre is an important step forward in Qiddiya City’s ambition to become a global destination for entertainment, sport and culture, creating a new home for tennis in Saudi Arabia while inspiring future generations through the power of play.
This philosophy is shaping a new city that offers residents, visitors, and businesses limitless opportunities to imagine, to grow, to escape, and to thrive in a contemporary and sustainable urban ecosystem built to improve quality of life, it added.
According to QIC, the National Tennis Centre will play a major role in the broader ambitions led by the Ministry of Sports to further elevate sports in the kingdom and encourage increased participation.
The National Tennis Centre 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. Beyond competition, its world-class facilities and favourable winter climate, position the National Tennis Centre as an attractive seasonal training destination, offering the globe's top players the ideal conditions to prepare for the tennis circuit. Its key features include:
•30 tennis courts in total (28 hard courts, two clay courts)
•Centre Court: 15,000 seats – the flagship arena with a retractable roof, designed for the world's biggest matches and comparable in scale to leading international tennis venues. Designed to host events beyond tennis. Court 1: 5,000 seats; Court 2: 2,000 seats and Court 3 (Arena): 8,000 seats – multi-use arena for sport, concerts, and major events, with retractable roof
•6 competition/match courts; 6 indoor courts; 14 practice courts including clay and a total seating across the centre of 33,000.
Speaking on this occasion, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, affirmed that the launch of the National Tennis Centre reflects the support and attention the sports sector receives from the leadership.
He also stressed that the centre represents an important pillar in developing tennis in the Kingdom, a sport that enjoys wide popularity among both participants and fans.
Prince Abdulaziz pointed out that the Centre 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,." he added.
Abdullah Aldawood, Managing Director, 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. The National Tennis Centre is for Saudi Arabia, supporting Vision 2030 by driving sports participation and tourism, and it is open to the world," he added.
A world-class venue for international tennis
The National Tennis Centre is designed to meet ATP, WTA, and ITF standards, placing it among the most advanced tennis centres in the world. It signals Saudi Arabia's ambition to become a significant and permanent presence on the international tennis circuit.
Ross Hutchins, the Chief Excutive Officer of ITF, said: "The National Tennis Centre at Qiddiya City is precisely the kind of transformative investment that the ITF has long championed as essential to the sustainable growth of our sport around the world."
"Quality facilities are the cornerstone of every successful national tennis programme - they create pathways for players, empower coaches, and provide opportunities for people who might otherwise never pick up a racket. We look forward to seeing Qiddiya City working alongside the Saudi Tennis Federation to grow the game in Saudi Arabiam," he added.
Eno Polo, the Chief Excutive Officer of ATP, said: "As the largest tennis facility of its kind in the region, it reflects a bold vision for the future of tennis and a commitment to creating more opportunities for people to engage with our sport, whether as players, fans or members of the wider community."
"Facilities of this scale and quality play an important role in the continued growth of tennis. By providing a world-class stage for competition alongside opportunities for participation at all levels, the National Tennis Centre has the potential to make a lasting impact on the sport across the region for years to come."
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