Taj Dhabi Wins $1.1bn Qiddiya Racecourse Construction Contract
- Michael Ghobrial
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Qiddiya Investment Company has moved its flagship equestrian venue into construction, awarding the Qiddiya racecourse construction contract, worth an estimated SR4.3 billion (around $1.1 billion), to Taj Dhabi, the Saudi subsidiary of UAE based Trojan Construction. The award marks another major milestone for Qiddiya City and adds a further landmark venue to Saudi Arabia's sports infrastructure programme ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Project overview
Project name: Qiddiya Racecourse
Client: Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC)
Appointed firm: Taj Dhabi, Saudi subsidiary of Trojan Construction
Contract value: Estimated SR4.3 billion (around $1.1 billion)
Location: Qiddiya City, outskirts of Riyadh
Key facilities: The Middle East's first straight mile turf course, a 2.2 kilometre main turf track, a 2.4 kilometre inner dirt track, a 21,000 seat permanent grandstand expandable to 70,000 with event overlays, a 110 metre central parade ring and an advanced equine hospital
A technically distinctive venue
The racecourse will feature the Middle East's first straight mile turf course alongside its main turf and inner dirt tracks, all designed to international racing standards. Delivering competition grade turf in Riyadh's climate is a genuine technical challenge, requiring specialist growing medium design, irrigation and drainage engineering well beyond standard sports pitch construction.
The permanent 21,000 seat grandstand anchors the venue, with event overlays expanding capacity to 70,000 spectators during major festivals, an approach which keeps the permanent structure efficient while allowing the venue to host headline international meetings. An advanced equine hospital providing diagnostics, surgery, rehabilitation and emergency care is integrated into the project.
Part of a wider sports infrastructure surge
The award reflects Saudi Arabia's broader investment in sports and entertainment infrastructure ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, sitting alongside stadium construction and renovation programmes across the Kingdom. Within Qiddiya City itself, the racecourse joins the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Stadium, a motorsports circuit and the recently awarded performing arts centre in an increasingly crowded delivery programme, sustaining demand for contractors, specialist subcontractors and consultants across the giga project.
Related reading
For more on this story's wider context, see our earlier coverage: Qiddiya Awards Multibillion-Riyal Contract for Performing Arts Centre
Take it further
Qiddiya's full delivery pipeline, alongside every major funded programme across the Kingdom, is tracked in our Middle East, GCC and North Africa Construction Market Intelligence Report 2026 is available now on the Emilecon store.
