YouTube star MrBeast, the world’s most followed YouTuber with over 450 million subscribers, has opened a temporary amusement park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the latest celebrity attraction to the kingdom’s growing entertainment scene.
Dubbed “Beast Land”, the park runs from November 13 to December 27 and features obstacle course-style challenges inspired by MrBeast’s viral videos, where contestants compete for cash prizes.
The park is part of Riyadh Season, a major annual festival designed to position the Saudi capital as a tourist hub while diversifying the nation’s economy beyond oil.
“The majority of our audience is outside of North America and we have a large concentration of people who watch our videos in the Middle East,” MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, told AFP. “I just really wanted to do something fun for our fans who live around here.”
The amusement park’s entrance is shaped like a blue tiger head with lightning bolt eyes, reflecting MrBeast’s branding, with neon lights illuminating the attractions. “This is the craziest thing that I’ve ever done. I can’t wait for you guys to experience this,” he said in a promotional video.
Saudi Arabia, where over 75% of the population is under 35, presents a prime market for digital content creators like MrBeast. Smartphone and internet penetration exceed 98%, positioning the kingdom as one of the world’s most avid media-consuming regions.
While the move underscores Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become an international entertainment destination, human rights groups have criticised the kingdom for inviting global celebrities to “art-wash” its human rights record.
MrBeast, named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in 2023 and with a net worth estimated at $500 million by Forbes, joins a growing list of global entertainers attracted to the kingdom’s leisure projects, including Qiddiya, a forthcoming “entertainment city” near Riyadh featuring theme parks and motorsports.
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