Abha has spent years being known for fog, cool air, and mountain views that don’t look like the rest of Saudi Arabia. Come August 5, it’s adding something new to that reputation: the country’s first completed SEVEN entertainment destination, and honestly, it’s a fairly big deal for a city more associated with hiking trails than theme park zones.
Saudi Arabia’s First SEVEN Entertainment Destination To Open In Abha
SEVEN Abha isn’t a theme park in the rollercoaster-and-thrill-ride sense. Think of it more as an indoor entertainment complex built for a full afternoon, not a full day. There are eight zones inside, and the mix is genuinely varied.
From the Play-Doh Imagination Centre for the younger crowd, Formula E-branded karting for anyone who fancies themselves quick behind a wheel, a Discovery-branded adventure zone, a cinema, golf and bowling concepts (including something called Cyber Bowling, which sounds exactly as neon as it reads), to a handful of small family rides. It’s the kind of place built for a rainy, or in Abha’s case, foggy, afternoon rather than a bucket-list day trip.
The Numbers Behind It
The site itself covers 64,000 square metres, with a built-up area of over 79,000 square metres, and sits in a genuinely convenient spot between Abha and Khamis Mushait, close to Abha International Airport. It’s been designed by Gensler, and rather than dropping in a generic glass-and-steel structure, the architecture leans into the region’s own visual language, inspired by Aseer’s traditional stone buildings and shaped around what’s called The Urban Code of Aseer Region, essentially a local design rulebook meant to protect the area’s character.
Also Read: Saudi Arabia Announces Launch Of SEVEN AlHamra, A 14-Project Entertainment Destination
The project carries a price tag north of SAR1.3 billion (roughly $346 million), and organisers are targeting more than five million visitors a year by 2030, an ambitious number, but not an unreasonable one given how few large-scale entertainment options currently exist in the south-west.
Why It Matters Beyond Abha
This opening isn’t a standalone project. SEVEN Abha is the first completed site in a much larger SAR50 billion (around $13.3 billion) rollout, with 21 entertainment destinations planned across 14 Saudi cities, part of the broader Vision 2030 push to build out the Kingdom’s leisure economy.
Riyadh’s own SEVEN AlHamra is already in the pipeline, so Abha effectively sets the tone for what’s coming everywhere else. For a city that’s usually pitched around misty peaks and cooler weather and has recently picked up easier flight access from the region, this is a genuinely different kind of tourism pull, less about the view and more about what you can do once you’re there.
If Abha’s already on your radar for the mountains, this just gave you one more reason to build in an extra day.
Cover Image Courtesy: Supplied
FAQs
What is inside SEVEN Abha?
Eight entertainment zones, including a Play-Doh Imagination Center, Formula E karting, a Discovery-branded adventure zone, Cyber Bowling, a cinema, golf concepts, and small family rides.
Where is SEVEN Abha located?
Between Abha and Khamis Mushait, close to Abha International Airport.
