The Populous-designed Qiddiya City Esports Arena features the largest combined total area of video screens of any esports arena in the world, as well as 4D haptic seats where visitors can sense, feel and even smell the action taking place in front of them.
Designed to cater to both national and international esports requirements, the Esports Arena is positioned as a focal point for Qiddiya City, the new destination city in Saudi Arabia based on the pillars of entertainment, sports and culture, exemplified by its promise of “Play Life”. It is a key element of the Qiddiya Gaming and Esports District, the world’s first mixed-use gaming and esports district, and will serve as a centrepiece for the emerging gaming hub in the Middle East region.
The striking design creates an iconic venue capable of adapting to multiple experiences and events. Featuring a distinctive architectural identity, the 5,155-seat multifunctional venue will provide a best-in-class experience for players and spectators alike. Extensive sightline studies have been carried out to optimise seating in the main auditorium for the best views, and parametric design tools have been utilised to refine screen locations, resulting in an innovative "digital chandelier" placed centrally within the seating bowl for enhanced gameplay content delivery.
The combination of screen size and 4D haptic seat experience, together with specifications for the most advanced AV systems available, will deliver a fully immersive and ever-changing experience for visitors.
The design philosophy for the arena is centred on creating a fantasy world for fans, providing a completely immersive esports and gaming experience.
The general admission experience is carefully crafted, with two concourses wrapping around the seating bowl, offering unique designs and functions. These include a centralised arcade with breakout zones for gaming, a food 'souk', retail and an immersive entertainment zone. This design ambition extends to the food and beverage offering, providing variety and choice through diverse typologies such as self-checkout markets and gaming bars. Many of these spaces can be operated prior to an event or fully on non-event days, with access from the podium, which increases the operation of the venue and its integration into the community.
Premium hospitality, constituting 20% of the arena, introduces six unique concepts, declining standard hospitality conventions in favour of themes aligned with gaming culture. Meticulous attention is also given to the design of the back-of-house and event production spaces, positioning the venue as the preferred choice for fans, brands, athletes, and promoters.
Shireen Hamdan, Senior Principal and General Manager of Populous KSA comments: “The Qiddiya City Esport Arena is a state-of-the-art esports venue that will serve as a centrepiece for this incredible global gaming hub and be a complete representation of Qiddiya’s ‘Play Life’ ethos.”
Rhys Courtney, Senior Principal at Populous EMEA adds: “We are proud to have been able to combine our extensive knowledge of esports facilities and technology with Qiddiya’s vision to create a world-leading arena for competitors and fans alike. This arena will be unique in esports in both scale and user experience.”
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Press release and images courtesy of Populous
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