- French President and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have committed to building a 6-billion-euro ($7 billion) theme park in the north of Paris.
- The deal includes three amusement parks, with a manga-inspired park based on the popular Japanese anime series, Dragon Ball Z.
- Over 20,000 jobs are expected to be created as a result of this investment, according to Macron.
- The announcement follows a two-day state visit to France by the Saudi Crown Prince.
- The project was born out of a discussion between the president of the Republic and the crown prince in December 2024 in Riyadh, where they discovered their shared passion for manga, specifically Dragon Ball Z.
- The first of the three parks is expected to be dedicated to this iconic Japanese franchise, although this has not been officially confirmed.
- The parks will be built and opened in stages, with construction expected to take several years.
France and Saudi Arabia have embarked on an unprecedented €6 billion investment to create three theme parks near Paris, including one themed around the iconic anime series Dragon Ball Z.25
The project, announced during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's state visit, aims to create over 20,000 jobs and is described by French President Emmanuel Macron as a venture not seen since Disneyland Paris.3
Macron expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "Nothing like this has been seen since Disneyland Paris," emphasizing the significance of the investment. The parks will be constructed in stages, with the first park expected to focus on Dragon Ball Z, although details on the other two parks remain undisclosed.
The collaboration stems from a shared passion for manga between Macron and the Crown Prince, which was discussed during a meeting in Riyadh in December 2024.
Despite the excitement surrounding the project, it has faced criticism due to Saudi Arabia's human rights record. When questioned about this, Macron's office stated, "At no point, when we attract a project, do we seek to lecture others."
In addition to the theme park deal, two other contracts were signed during the visit, including a $434 million agreement with CMA CGM for port development in Jeddah and a $580 million deal with Alstom for metro trains in Riyadh.
This visit marks one of the Crown Prince's rare trips abroad, highlighting the importance of the partnership between France and Saudi Arabia.
“The project, born from a December 2024 discussion in Riyadh, will be built in stages with no opening date set. Macron's office sidestepped human rights criticism, saying 'At no point, when we attract a project, do we seek to lecture others.'”
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