Saudi-backed Dragon Ball park planned near Paris

France and Saudi Arabia have unveiled a €6 billion leisure development near Paris that is expected to include three theme parks, with a flagship attraction built around the Dragon Ball manga and anime universe.

The project will be developed around Cergy-Pontoise, about 30 kilometres northwest of the French capital, and is expected to create about 22,000 direct jobs. Qiddiya Investment Company, the Saudi entertainment and development group backed by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, is set to lead and finance the scheme.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced the investment during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Paris on Monday, describing the scale of the development as unmatched in France since Disneyland Paris opened in 1992.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding covering the project, which is envisaged as a large mixed-use destination combining entertainment, leisure, hospitality, culture and sport. Plans allow for as many as three amusement parks, although the themes and detailed designs for two of them have not been publicly specified.

One park is expected to focus on manga, with Dragon Ball playing a central role. The franchise, created by Akira Toriyama, has grown from its original manga into one of the world’s most recognisable Japanese entertainment properties, spanning television, films, games and merchandise.

The development is planned for the Cergy-Pontoise area in Val-d’Oise, with reports placing it at Courdimanche on land associated with the former Mirapolis amusement park. Mirapolis opened in 1987 but closed four years later after struggling financially, leaving the site without a comparable large-scale leisure development for decades.

Macron said the new parks could turn the area into a global entertainment destination. The estimated €6 billion investment covers the wider development cycle, while construction is expected to extend over several years. No opening date has been announced and significant details, including final designs, construction phases and the identities of other intellectual properties involved, remain to be settled.

The idea developed through discussions between Macron and Mohammed bin Salman during the French president’s visit to Riyadh in December 2024, when advisers said the two discovered a shared enthusiasm for manga, particularly Dragon Ball Z. Talks about the possible French leisure project continued for more than a year before Monday’s announcement.

The scheme adds a new international dimension to Qiddiya’s entertainment strategy. The company is already developing Qiddiya City near Riyadh as one of the centrepieces of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme, which seeks to reduce economic dependence on oil by expanding tourism, entertainment, sport and other non-oil industries.

Qiddiya’s Saudi development includes theme parks, sporting facilities, entertainment venues and residential areas. The group has also been building deeper links with global gaming and popular-culture brands as Riyadh seeks to establish itself as a major international entertainment hub.

The French project would represent a significant overseas expansion of that model. It also fits Paris’s strategy of attracting long-term foreign capital into tourism, infrastructure and technology while strengthening France’s position as the world’s leading tourism destination.

Officials in the Île-de-France region have backed the development, pointing to its potential impact on employment, transport demand and visitor spending. Regional authorities have been involved in discussions around the project for about 18 months.

The projected 22,000 direct jobs underline the scale being contemplated. Disneyland Paris, which remains Europe’s dominant theme-park destination, supports roughly 20,000 direct jobs and has become one of France’s largest private-sector tourism employers.