YouTuber MrBeast brings pop-up theme park to Saudi Arabia
Beast Land, open from Nov. 13 to Dec. 27, features several obstacle-course challenges similar to those that appear in the influencer’s videos.
The latest celebrity Saudi Arabia has tapped to advance its Vision 2030 ambitions is MrBeast, one of the world’s most popular YouTubers, who has opened a pop-up theme park in Riyadh.
What happened: The viral star, who hit 100 billion views this month and has more than 450 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, is in the Saudi capital this week to launch Beast Land, a theme park modeled on his videos, which put people through elaborate endurance challenges to win large cash prizes.
US YouTuber James Stephen "Jimmy" Donaldson, known as MrBeast, smiles during an interview with AFP at the "Beast Land" amusement park in Riyadh's Boulevard City entertainment complex on Nov. 12, 2025. (FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, is a 27-year-old American YouTuber known for his high-budget videos with intricate competitions, stunts and eye-watering cash giveaways for the winners. Beyond YouTube, Donaldson has a sprawling business empire that includes fast-food chain MrBeast Burger and reality competition show "Beast Games".
Beast Land, open from Nov. 13 to Dec. 27, features several obstacle course challenges similar to those that appear in the influencer’s videos. The temporary park is part of Riyadh Season, a yearly festival that promotes the capital as a tourist hub.
Those attending Beast Land will compete for prizes worth more than 2 million Saudi riyals ($530,000), according to a press release. Contestants earn points for every challenge they complete, and their scores depend on difficulty and speed of completion. At the end of each daily competition, the top three highest-scoring participants receive cash awards, while the grand prize will go to the participant with the highest overall score during the two weeks Beast Land is open.
The theme park will also offer a variety of attractions for all age groups, including a children’s area and more than 20 food and drink stalls.
“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,” Donaldson told Agence France-Presse in an interview in Riyadh on Thursday at the launch of the theme park. “A lot of times when we do stuff, we do it in the West or in other places and I just really wanted to do something fun for our fans who live around here.”
People visit the Beast Land amusement park in Riyadh's Boulevard City entertainment complex on Nov. 13, 2025. (FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Why it matters: Saudi Arabia, a once ultraconservative Gulf kingdom, has been implementing its Vision 2030 program to liberalize and diversify its economy away from reliance on oil by the end of the decade by heavily investing in sectors including artificial intelligence, clean energy, entertainment, sports and tourism.
Wide-ranging reforms introduced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2016 include a significant push into entertainment and tourism, and the government surpassed its Vision 2030 goal of attracting more than 100 million tourists a year to the kingdom in 2023.
Part of Riyadh's Vision 2030 strategy has been luring top celebrities to the kingdom to attract international attention. For example, Saudi Arabia has welcomed soccer icons Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo and French player Karim Benzema, who are now playing in the Saudi Pro League for some of the highest paychecks in the sport. Argentine World Cup winner Lionel Messi has also worked as an ambassador for the Saudi Tourism Authority, promoting the kingdom as a holiday destination.
The kingdom has also invested heavily in the music and cinema spheres. After lifting its 25-year ban on cinema in early 2018, the country has welcomed Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities such as Viola Davis and Priyanka Chopra Jonas to its film festivals, shining an international spotlight on the kingdom.
Know more: Riyadh Season, now in its sixth year, is estimated to be worth more than $3.2 billion. It is held across 11 zones in the Saudi capital and includes an array of live shows, music festivals and sporting events as well as gastronomic and fashion experiences.
