Cairo: Saudi Arabia plans to turn decommissioned planes into culinary and theatrical venues as part of a bustling entertainment industry.
Head of Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki Alalsheikh disclosed that the state agency in collaboration with the national carrier Saudi airlines will soon use the Boeing planes as restaurants, cafes and musical theatres in a new zone named Boulevard Runway as part of the Riyadh calendar.
“An agreement was reached with the Saudi Airlines to make use of five planes, which have gone out of service,” he said in media remarks.
“We are seeking to develop the idea. It’ll be a unique experience,” Alalsheikh said.
The entertainment industry has thrived in Saudi Arabia in recent years as part of efforts to diversify oil-reliant economy.
A flagship annual event is the Riyadh Season, which made its debut in 2019 with the aim of turning the city into a global entertainment and tourist destination.
The fourth edition of the Riyadh Season was unveiled on October 28 with specular shows including an epic fight that saw British boxer Tyson Fury outrivaling former world champion in mixed martial arts Francis Ngannou in a showdown dubbed the “battle of the baddest”.
The current edition of the festival features a variety of choices for visitors comprising entertainment, fashion, electronic games, fine arts, handicrafts, cuisine and thematic zones.
This year’s Boulevard World zone, a major feature of the festival, introduces new entertainment experiences after its space has increased by over 40 per cent.
The Season’s events are spread over 12 venues in Riyadh, featuring concerts by world celebrities, theatrical shows, and restaurants serving a variety of mouth-watering international cuisine.
New venues for this year’s edition include the state-of-the area Boulevard Hall set up on an area of 200 ,000 square metres and can accommodate up to 40,000 visitors at one time.
The season also enthralls visitors with the “Wonder Garden”, a super entertainment city boasting 70 different games and global gardens.
Screenshots of the new entertainment designs unveiled at a press conference.
Link to a video posted by the Riyadh Season of the planned aircraft-turned-restaurants: https://twitter.com/RiyadhSeason/status/1746652778028515696
