MrBeast’s pop up theme park in Saudi Arabia looks to be a masterclass in cynicism

Self-described idiot and YouTube sensation MrBeast’s latest venture has just been unveiled to the world—and like everything else he does, it’s an expensive, polarizing spectacle. Beast Land is a pop up “theme park” replete with country fair-esque attractions and games that opened November 13 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

MrBeast, or Jimmy Donaldson, revealed the scope of attractions in Beast Land (and the game-oriented in-park land Beast Zone) earlier this month in a thread on X. The games on offer include Drop Zone, where players aim to be the last person standing atop a series of trap doors, and Airmail, where players drop a “weighted bag” from a zipline onto a target below.

As reported by Kotaku, the park also features thrill rides, photo-op set pieces where you can pretend to hold Feastables with MrBeast himself, a seemingly endless spew of branded merchandise, and a stash of 1 million Saudi Riyal, or roughly $266,000 USD, which will go to the highest scoring Arena players. In other words, it’s what I imagine someone who truly resents theme parks imagines they are like.

Riyadh might strike you as an odd choice of location even if controversy has not stopped MrBeast from pouring money into dystopian displays of wealth before. Saudi Arabia is one of the most conservative nations on the planet, and has proven controversial for its dicey relationship to human rights; women were unable to drive in the country until 2018 and Amnesty International states they are still subject to male guardianship because of a law passed in 2022. That same writeup notes that “protests and demonstrations” are illegal in the country and that Saudi authorities ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as the CIA has concluded in the past.

MrBeast explained why Riyadh was chosen in a post on X: “Middle of the world because a majority of my audience is outside America and we have a big middle eastern fan base. Wanted to give them a chance to participate!” A community note was quickly attached to the post that clarifies “MrBeast also chose Saudi Arabia because he signed a deal with the Saudi-funded Riyadh Season earlier this year, and Beast Land was a part of the deal.”

As a “theme park,” it appears pretty dismal, but it’s notable as another way Saudi Arabia is expanding its reach via entertainment. EA’s recent acquisition included the nation’s public investment fund as a major stakeholder, to the chagrin of affected unions.