عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Entertainment

Qiddiya Investment Company, Six Flags Sign Management Services Agreement to Operate 2 Parks

Qiddiya Investment Company, Six Flags Sign Management Services Agreement to Operate 2 Parks
TT
TT

Qiddiya Investment Company, Six Flags Sign Management Services Agreement to Operate 2 Parks

Qiddiya Investment Company, Six Flags Sign Management Services Agreement to Operate 2 Parks

Qiddya Investment Company announced on Monday that it has signed a comprehensive Management Services Agreement under which Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, North America’s largest regional amusement-resort operator, will serve as the official operator for Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia Water Theme Park.

Under the agreement, Six Flags will bring its unparalleled management expertise, operational excellence and strategic insight to provide operational support for both parks in Qiddiya City. Upon its planned opening in late 2025, Six Flags Qiddiya City is set to become the thrill-seekers’ ultimate playground, with 28 rides and attractions, including the world’s tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster, Falcons Flight.

Adjacent to Six Flags Qiddiya City and also planning to open in late 2025, Aquarabia Water Theme Park will make a splash with 22 state-of-the-art water rides and attractions, including the world’s tallest water coaster and the world’s tallest double-loop water slide. The water park will welcome guests to eight themed areas, including Surftopia, featuring Saudi Arabia’s first surf pool. Together, these attractions will set a new standard for family-friendly entertainment in the region.

"We are excited to collaborate with Six Flags as we take Qiddiya City to the next level," said Abdullah Al Dawood, Managing Director of Qiddiya Investment Company. "Their expertise will help us create memorable experiences that resonate with residents and visitors while contributing to Saudi Arabia’s cultural and economic growth as part of Vision 2030."

"This operational agreement represents an important step forward," said Selim Bassoul, Executive Chairman of Six Flags. "We are committed to supporting Qiddiya’s vision by creating high-quality experiences that engage and inspire visitors of all ages."

Qiddiya City forms an integral part of Saudi Vision 2030, a bold initiative to diversify the economy and establish the Kingdom as a global leader in tourism. The ambitious project represents a multi-billion-dollar investment to drive economic growth, create job opportunities, and attract millions of visitors annually. As a testament to Qiddiya’s commitments, both parks are set to create thousands of jobs, nurturing local talent and enhancing the attractions industry within the Kingdom.

Under the agreement, Brian Machamer, President of Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia Water Theme Park since 2019, will continue leading the operations of both parks. With Six Flags’ operational expertise and Qiddiya’s visionary leadership, Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia Water Theme Park will serve as benchmarks for a new era in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector, offering unforgettable experiences that celebrate innovation, culture, and reflecting the transformative potential of the Power of Play.

Most Viewed

 
 
Entertainment

Tim Curry, Actor Famed for ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ Dead at 80

Tim Curry attends the Museum of the Moving Image salute to Alec Baldwin in New York on Feb. 28, 2011. (AP)
Tim Curry attends the Museum of the Moving Image salute to Alec Baldwin in New York on Feb. 28, 2011. (AP)
TT
TT

Tim Curry, Actor Famed for ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ Dead at 80

Tim Curry attends the Museum of the Moving Image salute to Alec Baldwin in New York on Feb. 28, 2011. (AP)
Tim Curry attends the Museum of the Moving Image salute to Alec Baldwin in New York on Feb. 28, 2011. (AP)

Tim Curry, the baritone-voiced British actor who pranced to movie fame in the 1975 cult classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," has died at the age of 80, Variety and other outlets reported.

A cause of death was not immediately given, but Curry had been in ill health for some time.

Curry appeared in numerous movies, often as a hammy villain, was nominated three times for a Tony Award for Broadway roles, and performed voice work in many animated films and TV shows.

But his best-known role was Dr. Frank N. Furter, which came in his debut film, the outrageous, crowd-pleasing horror-comedy-musical "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," co-starring Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick.

In a 1975 television interview, Curry ‌noted the risk ‌of having his career defined by such an outlandish role - a prescient worry, as it ‌turned ⁠out. "When I read ⁠it, I just thought it was very, very witty and funny," Curry said, although he confessed to some initial reluctance.

"I mean, I was hesitant in that, if it worked, it might be a difficult thing to shake off. But, really, I've always thought that it (a part) wasn't worth doing unless you took a risk," Curry said.

Among his other films were "Charlie's Angels" (2000), "Muppet Treasure Island" (1996), "The Shadow" (1994), "The Three Musketeers" (1993), "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992), "Clue" (1985), "Legend" (1985) and "Annie" (1982).

OVER-THE-TOP VILLAINS

Curry did much of his best work on stage. He was nominated for a Tony, Broadway's top honor, in 1981 for his role as Mozart in "Amadeus," a tale of the ⁠great composer's interaction with jealous rival Salieri. Curry was also nominated for a Tony ‌in 1993 for "My Favorite Year" and in 2005 for his role as ‌King Arthur in the zany "Monty Python's Spamalot."

Possessing a rich baritone voice, he was in demand as a voice actor for animated films ‌and TV shows. He won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991 for his voice work on the animated "Peter ‌Pan & the Pirates."

With his sinister grin and menacing laugh, Curry was frequently cast in Hollywood films as a villain - sometimes with comic overtones, which let him deliver the type of over-the-top performances for which he was famed.

"I do love those roles – they're always the best written," Curry told interviewer Andrew Kay in 2011.

He conceded that some of his movies were mediocre, singling out 1995's "Congo," a ‌tale of diamond mines and killer gorillas.

"I was really very bad in it," Curry said. "I won a Razzy award for one of the worst performances of the ⁠year – and I richly deserved ⁠it, too."

A CULT FOLLOWING

Curry was born in the English village of Grappenhall, Cheshire, on April 19, 1946. His father, a Royal Navy chaplain, died when he was 12. His mother was a school secretary.

Curry studied drama at Birmingham University.

In 1973, he landed the part of Dr. Frank N. Furter in the original London stage version of "The Rocky Horror Show." He performed the play in New York and Los Angeles before it was made into a film, renamed as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

The movie was not an instant hit, but won a cult following in midnight screenings in New York City and elsewhere, with audience members often dressing up as "Rocky Horror" characters.

Curry withdrew from a British stage production in 2011 due to ill health. In 2013, his agent said that he had suffered a stroke, but was recovering "in great humor."

From then on he used a wheelchair and reduced his workload. In 2024, he did, however, return to the big screen, appearing in the horror film "Stream."

Curry, who lived in Los Angeles, never married and had no children. A composer and a singer, Curry also performed with his own rock band and released a handful of albums.

Entertainment

Movie Review: A Tender Love Story with Postapocalyptic Teeth in Ridley Scott’s ‘The Dog Stars’

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Jacob Elordi in a scene from "The Dog Stars." (Fabio Lovino/20th Century Studios via AP)
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Jacob Elordi in a scene from "The Dog Stars." (Fabio Lovino/20th Century Studios via AP)
TT
TT

Movie Review: A Tender Love Story with Postapocalyptic Teeth in Ridley Scott’s ‘The Dog Stars’

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Jacob Elordi in a scene from "The Dog Stars." (Fabio Lovino/20th Century Studios via AP)
This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Jacob Elordi in a scene from "The Dog Stars." (Fabio Lovino/20th Century Studios via AP)

It says something about us that dogs are critical when it comes to postapocalyptic movies. Tom Hanks had an adorable terrier in “Finch” and Will Smith had a heroic German shepherd in “I Am Legend.” Another German shepherd is due to accompany Brad Pitt in next month's “Heart of Beast,” but until then we have “The Dog Stars” and its four-legged Malinois star.

The pup is named Jasper in Ridley Scott's adaptation of Peter Heller's novel, a tale of man and man's best friend trying to find purpose in a brutal, post-pandemic Colorado. What this proves is you can't tell a story about humanity without a little canine.

Scott’s movie is a welcome if slightly odd addition to the postapocalyptic canon, a movie less centered on the kill-or-be-killed mutant hellscape than the costs of survival itself. Ignoring one unhinged sequence toward the end, “The Dog Stars” is a quiet love story set amid sniper fire, RPGs and fuel cans. It's even optimistic.

Jacob Elordi stars as Hig, a mechanic and pilot who has survived a pandemic that wiped out most of humanity, including his beloved wife. He's holed up at an abandoned airport in Erie, Colorado, accompanied by the ever-alert Jasper — who's a good boy? — and an ex-military man, Bangley, played by Josh Brolin. He's not such a good boy.

Hig spends his days flying his Cessna into Denver to scavenge for food and supplies, or looking after other pockets of survivors, like a Mennonite community whose connection to the land and simple ways seem perfectly suited for the End Days.

Scott and screenwriter Mark L. Smith haven't quite figured out what nasty things are out there, lurking in the dark. Sometimes it's just roving survivalists and sometimes it's a wave of incoherent, shirtless, heavily tattooed cultists who suddenly swarm, like from “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.”

Our hero hopes there are other sane uninfected folk out there, but his gruff pal disagrees. “What do you expect to find?” Bangley asks. Stay in the compound, with power, weapons and food, he argues: The virus pulled the mask off civilization. Stay and wait to die.

Hig disagrees — “I can't do this anymore” — and sets off for Grand Junction, where he thinks he heard a radio transmission. First, though, he comes across a young widow and her protective father, played by Margaret Qualley and Guy Pearce.

There's loads of survivor's guilt to get through before these stupidly beautiful people can think about romance. One lovely scene has them confessing what they miss most about their lives before the virus — driving to music, even traffic. Watching Qualley as she hears recorded music for the first time in years, the joy washing over her face, is a delight.

Just as this quiet love story gets going, it's time for more knife-slitting and killer hordes. And for Allison Janney to appear in what surely will be 2026's most bananas performance by an actor in a post-apocalyptic airport.

What Scott and Smith have managed is very hard, putting a tender love story into a zombie flick, like that Trojan Horse trick from “The Odyssey.” One odder decision is to film this Colorado-specific tale in Italy, with the Dolomite mountains filling in for the Rockies.

The filmmakers found the perfect song — Hozier's gorgeous “Like Real People Do” plays at the beginning and end — to go with the perfect postapocalyptic couple. And that dog — such a good boy.

Entertainment

US Country Music Legend Dolly Parton Dies at 80

A photo of the late US singer-songwriter Dolly Parton is displayed at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee on August 25, 2026. (AFP)
A photo of the late US singer-songwriter Dolly Parton is displayed at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee on August 25, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

US Country Music Legend Dolly Parton Dies at 80

A photo of the late US singer-songwriter Dolly Parton is displayed at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee on August 25, 2026. (AFP)
A photo of the late US singer-songwriter Dolly Parton is displayed at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee on August 25, 2026. (AFP)

Dolly Parton, the country music star who rose from grinding poverty in Tennessee to become a rhinestone-studded cultural icon with hits like "Jolene" and "9 to 5," has died at 80, her family said Tuesday.

Parton was more than a singer -- she wrote 3,000 songs, acted in major Hollywood films and donated millions of dollars to charities in her home state and beyond.

She was also an accomplished businesswoman, with her interests spanning from her popular Dollywood theme park to cosmetics, pet apparel, baking mixes and even a truck stop.

"Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus," her nephew Bryan Seaver said in a video announcing her death on social media.

He said the multiple award-winning artist -- known for her glittering style, curvy figure and larger-than-life blonde wigs -- had "opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life."

Parton died after a brief battle with cancer, her third cousin Brent Allen confirmed to AFP.

"I feel like she's one of the last of the salt of the earth. She brought people together," Allen told AFP in Sevierville, Tennessee, the singer's home town.

Parton had recently spoken about unspecified health challenges. Her husband Carl Dean died last year.

A small private funeral service will be held, People magazine said, citing the singer's representatives.

President Donald Trump ordered flags lowered across the United States, and New York's Empire State Building was to be lit in pink at 9:25 pm -- a nod to Parton's hit song and movie "9 to 5".

- 'Devastated' -

The news sparked a rare moment of unity in a country often bitterly at odds over Trump's presidency, the war against Iran and cultural issues.

"May her legacy live on through her songs, the lives she touched, and the countless artists she inspired. There will never, ever be another one like her," the Grand Ole Opry, America's temple of country music, said on social media.

Her co-stars from "9 to 5," which sparked her soundtrack smash when it came out in 1980, expressed shock.

Oscar winner Jane Fonda said she was "devastated" while Lily Tomlin said only: "No words."

Trump called Parton's passing a "true loss for millions of people."

"There has never been anyone like her, and never will," he posted on his Truth Social network.

- A world 'less sparkly' -

Born in 1946 as one of 12 children in rural Tennessee, Parton headed for the country music capital Nashville right after graduating from high school.

By 1967, at age 21, she was among the most recognized figures in American music, having joined Porter Wagoner's syndicated country music television show that broadcast her voice and face into millions of US homes.

During a prolific career that spanned six decades, Parton penned some 3,000 tunes.

They included "Jolene,Coat of Many Colors" and the iconic ballad "I Will Always Love You," which became an international success for Whitney Houston.

Releasing 49 studio albums and more than 100 compilation and collaboration albums, she earned the title of "queen of country music."

Never one to downplay her striking looks, Parton essentially wrote the book on how a woman can rule the airwaves in a male-dominated industry, ultimately becoming an American treasure with songs covered by everyone from Shania Twain to Sinead O'Connor.

Pop artist Taylor Swift, who also got her start in country music, called Parton "eternally generous", while rockstar Jack White -- who covered "Jolene" with the White Stripes -- wrote on Instagram: "Instant Sainthood."

Last year, Parton postponed a series of Las Vegas concerts, citing ongoing health concerns. In May, she canceled them altogether, sparking new fears.

In videos posted to her social media accounts, she said that while treatment for an unnamed illness was going well, she was not ready to perform.

Just last week, she said in a statement to People magazine: "I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I'm gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life."

"She brought so many people together, we will all miss her so much," said Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.