Several seriously injured as fairground ride snaps mid-air and crashes in Saudi Arabia


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At least 23 people were injured when a fairground attraction in Saudi Arabia snapped mid-ride, sending its full carousel plunging to the ground, it was reported on Thursday.

Footage circulating online showed the 360 Degrees ride breaking in half, with the circular carousel crashing down from a height of several metres.

The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV channel reported 23 people were injured, four seriously, in the accident on Wednesday.

The amusement park in Taif, south-west Saudi Arabia, has been closed and an investigation is under way, Al Arabiya said.

Saudi Arabia has been building a number of leisure and entertainment attractions as the long-cloistered country seeks to diversify its oil-reliant economy.

Among its so-called giga-projects is Qiddiya near Riyadh, billed as an "entertainment city" of theme parks and a racetrack for motorsports.

French business

France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.

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Updated: July 31, 2025, 3:57 PM`