France and Saudi Arabia have reached a joint investment agreement worth 6 billion euros, or about 230 billion baht, to build a mega-project consisting of three amusement parks near Paris. One of these will feature the globally recognized manga and anime theme "Dragon Ball Z," with an expected creation of more than 22,000 jobs.
France and Saudi Arabia have agreed on a project to develop three large amusement parks near Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of Paris, with a total investment of approximately 6 billion euros, or about 230 billion baht. One of the parks will be based on "Dragon Ball," the famous Japanese manga and animation series.
The French presidential office announced the agreement on 24 Aug during the official visit of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to France. The project is expected to create around 22,000 jobs.
The project will be funded by Saudi Arabia's Qiddiya Investment Company, an entertainment and investment group, as part of the Saudi government's strategy to diversify its economy away from oil dependence and expand its tourism and entertainment business internationally.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the project. French officials said the idea emerged after Macron and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discovered their mutual fondness for Dragon Ball during Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2025.
The three amusement parks will be located near Cergy-Pontoise, though details about the themes of the other two parks have not yet been disclosed. The entire project is expected to be one of the largest amusement park investments in Europe.
One site under consideration is the former Mirapolis amusement park in Courdimanche near Cergy, which opened in 1987 and was known for its massive "Gargantua" statue but closed in 1991 due to financial difficulties and low attendance.
However, authorities have not confirmed whether the former Mirapolis site will be used for the three parks. Official land designation and necessary infrastructure development, such as roads, public transport, parking, hotels, restaurants, and tourist facilities, are still to be determined.
For the Dragon Ball-themed park, Saudi Arabia already has experience developing similar projects, as Qiddiya is building a Dragon Ball amusement park near Riyadh covering over 500,000 square meters divided into seven zones based on the seven Dragon Balls.
The Saudi project plans more than 30 rides, including five major attractions, featuring a 70-meter-tall "Shenron the Dragon God" centerpiece, along with hotels and restaurants decorated in the Dragon Ball theme.
Details about the Dragon Ball amusement park in France remain unclear, with no official layout, ride list, or construction site revealed yet, so it is uncertain if it will mirror the Saudi project entirely.
Choosing Dragon Ball makes market sense as Akira Toriyama's work is very popular in France, one of the key European markets for Japanese manga and animation.
Initial reports suggest the first park might open in 2032, with the other two parks following later. However, this timeline is preliminary since the project must still undergo land planning, approvals, infrastructure development, and construction over several years.
French authorities see the project as evidence that France remains an important destination for foreign investment, while Saudi Arabia uses large-scale entertainment and tourism projects as part of its efforts to build a new economy less reliant on oil revenues.
.sourceSortir à Paris/Reuters/BBC