Saudi Arabia unveils plan for impressive new home of international tennis

RIYADH: 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. 

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