Saudi Arabia and France have reached an agreement for a major €6 billion ($7 billion) investment to develop three large-scale theme parks near Paris, marking one of the kingdom’s most significant overseas ventures in the global entertainment and tourism sector. The project, announced during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the French capital, is expected to create around 22,000 direct jobs and establish a new international leisure destination in the Paris region.
Under a memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries, the proposed entertainment complex will be located near Cergy-Pontoise, approximately 30 kilometres northwest of Paris. The development will consist of three separate theme parks, although the themes of two of them have not yet been revealed. French authorities have confirmed that one of the parks is expected to be dedicated to Japanese manga and anime, with the Dragon Ball Z franchise at the centre of plans reported for the project.
The project is being led and financed by Qiddiya, a Saudi entertainment and investment company backed by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund. The initiative forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to expand its presence in the international tourism and entertainment industry while reducing its economic dependence on oil. Through its Vision 2030 programme, Saudi Arabia has been investing heavily in leisure, sports, tourism and cultural projects both at home and abroad.
The proposed development is expected to have a substantial impact on employment in the region. French officials estimate that the three parks together could generate approximately 22,000 direct jobs, a figure that would put the project on a scale comparable with the employment generated by Disneyland Paris. French President Emmanuel Macron described the announcement as an unprecedented development and said the new attractions could help create a major global destination in the Paris region.
The idea for the manga-themed attraction reportedly emerged from a conversation between Macron and Mohammed bin Salman during Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia. The two leaders discovered a shared interest in Japanese manga and, in particular, Dragon Ball Z. That discussion subsequently helped inspire plans for an attraction based around the globally popular franchise. However, while the French presidency has confirmed that one of the parks will have a manga theme, the final details and licensing arrangements for a Dragon Ball Z-branded park remain to be established.
Construction of the entertainment complex is expected to take several years and will be carried out in stages. French authorities have not announced an opening date. The project is expected to become one of the largest new theme park developments in Europe once completed, although significant details concerning its design, attractions, investment schedule and the themes of the other two parks are still being worked out.
The proposed investment comes at a time when France is seeking to strengthen its position as a major international tourism and entertainment hub. The Paris region already attracts millions of visitors each year and is home to Disneyland Paris, one of Europe’s best-known theme park destinations. French officials have presented the Saudi-backed development as evidence of the country’s continued appeal to major international investors.
The announcement was made during a wider diplomatic and economic engagement between France and Saudi Arabia. Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Paris, his first such foreign trip in nearly a year, included meetings with Macron and appearances at major events in the French capital. The two countries also announced other commercial agreements during the visit, including deals involving the development of Jeddah Islamic Port and the supply of metro trains for Riyadh.
The theme park agreement, however, has also attracted criticism in France because of the Saudi leadership’s human rights record. Several journalists’ unions protested the decision to host the Saudi crown prince, citing continuing concerns surrounding the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. French authorities have defended their decision to pursue economic and investment partnerships with Riyadh, arguing that attracting major international projects remains an important objective.
For Saudi Arabia, the Paris project represents another step in its attempt to build a global entertainment portfolio and expand the reach of its investment-backed leisure industry. For France, the €6 billion development could bring substantial foreign investment, employment and tourism activity to the Paris region. If completed as planned, the three-park complex could significantly reshape the European theme park market and add a major new attraction to the area surrounding the French capital.
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