France announces a €6 billion Saudi-backed theme-park project near Paris
The development near Cergy-Pontoise is expected to include a manga-themed park, with reports pointing to Dragon Ball Z.
France and Saudi Arabia have agreed to a €6 billion theme-park development near Paris, with one of the planned attractions expected to be manga-themed.
The three-park project will be built near Cergy-Pontoise, around 30 kilometres northwest of Paris, and is expected to create approximately 22,000 jobs. French President Emmanuel Macron described it as a project on a scale not seen since Disneyland Paris.
Dragon Ball is expected, not confirmed
The Élysée Palace has said the development is expected to include a manga-themed park. The Japan Times and BBC have identified Dragon Ball Z as the likely theme, following reports that Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed their shared enthusiasm for the franchise.
Qiddiya Investment Company, part of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, is leading the project. Qiddiya previously announced plans for a Dragon Ball theme park near Riyadh.
A project with no opening date
The agreement was announced during the Saudi crown prince’s two-day state visit to France. Local reports suggest the parks could be built on the former Mirapolis site in Val-d’Oise, which closed in 1991, but that location has not been formally confirmed.
No construction or opening date has been announced. The parks are expected to open in stages and construction is likely to take years.
Our opinion
A Dragon Ball theme park outside Paris would be an enormous proposition, but the crucial phrase here is “expected to be themed on”. Until the licence, site and construction schedule are formally confirmed, this is a major investment announcement with a very shiny rumour attached.
The location makes commercial sense. Paris already has a huge international visitor base, and a manga attraction would give the region another reason to compete for families and anime fans who might otherwise head elsewhere.
The Saudi involvement will also attract scrutiny, particularly given the country’s human-rights record. France is happy to discuss investment and jobs; audiences are entitled to ask what else is being traded alongside them.
For now, the headline is promising, the numbers are huge and the paperwork is still doing most of the work.