Let’s not delay saying it until the end—23 people were injured. Four of them seriously.
That’s how bad it was when a massive theme park attraction in Saudi Arabia came apart mid-air. The type of event that turns a pleasant evening into your worst nightmare.
It All Started Like Any Other Thrilling Ride…
Imagine yourself strapped into a gigantic booming pendulum ride called “360 Degrees” with a bunch of other people eager for a thrill. You’re swinging back and forth with the wind in your hair and the laughter of the crowd pouring through the line behind you. This should be the normal adrenaline rush—except, it’s not.
It came out of nowhere—a loud CRACK tore through the air. A moment later, one-half of the ride literally snapped off, and crashed to the ground from several meters high. One piece even launched into the air. Nobody saw it coming.
And in seconds, it was chaos.
What came after was pure panic. People were screaming. Some ran to help. Some ran away, didn’t even look back. It was supposed to be just another fun night at the Al-Hada amusement park in Taif, less than an hour from Jeddah. Instead, it turned into one of those episodes you will remember for all the wrong reasons.
And yes, there is video. Because in 2025 there is always someone filming.
What happened to the “360 Degrees” ride?
The details of it are still unclear, but it prompted a serious investigation directed by the regional governor, Prince Saud bin Nahar bin Saud bin Abdulaziz. His response was to immediately shut down the entire amusement park.
Saudi Arabia is on a mission these days—less talk about oil and more fun stuff. They are constructing entertainment hubs all over the country as part of their national strategy to diversify the economy. Big developments like Qiddiya (a planned entertainment city on the outskirts of Riyadh) are already in the works: theme parks and motor racing tracks and roller coasters the size of small buildings.
But this incident? It raises questions. How safe are these new attractions, really?
No One Went There Expecting a Disaster
For those 23 injured and the dozens of others who saw the horrifying crash, this was supposed to be a fun time. Now it is a memory they will never forget—and not for good reasons.
Hopefully, this is a wake-up call—for safety measures in Saudi Arabia and any country jumping into this theme park craziness.
Thrills are great. But nothing tops coming home safe.
