Saudi Arabia has agreed to invest a six-billion-euro ($7-billion) Saudi investment to develop three theme parks near Paris, according to the office of French President Emmanuel Macron. The colossal project was finalized during a two-day official visit to France by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Project Scope and Location Near Paris
The massive investment will fund the construction of three distinct theme parks situated near Cergy-Pontoise, located roughly 30 kilometers northwest of the French capital. According to the French presidency, the attraction site will be developed by investment firm Qiddiya, which operates as a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the agreement on X as an “unprecedented announcement” that will establish a “new global destination.” The development is expected to generate 22,000 direct jobs, outpacing the roughly 20,000 jobs created by Disneyland Paris, based on figures provided by the Elysée Palace.
Manga Theme and Regional Connections
French presidential officials revealed that one of the three planned parks is expected to be manga-themed. According to an adviser to President Macron, the concept “stemmed from a discussion between the president of the republic and the crown prince in December 2024” in Riyadh, where the two leaders discovered a “shared passion” for manga, specifically mentioning Dragon Ball Z. Local media reports had previously circulated over the summer regarding plans for an amusement park dedicated to the Japanese franchise within the Val-d’Oise region, though official confirmation was withheld at the time. The themes for the remaining two parks have not yet been publicly disclosed by the French presidency. Construction on the multi-stage project is slated to take several years, with officials omitting an official opening date.
Wider Economic Agreements and Political Backlash
Alongside the theme park memorandum, the French presidency confirmed that two additional contracts were signed with French companies during the Saudi crown prince’s visit. Marine logistics firm CMA CGM secured an agreement to help develop Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Islamic Port on the Red Sea for $434 million, while rail transport group Alstom agreed to supply metro carriages for the Riyadh metro system in a deal valued at $580 million. The visit marked a rare foreign trip for the Saudi crown prince, who rarely leaves his country outside of international summits, according to Paris officials. On Sunday, President Macron hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Esports World Cup, with subsequent talks centering on strategic issues and Middle East developments. The diplomatic reception drew sharp opposition in France, where three journalists’ unions staged protests against the decision to host the Saudi leader. The unions cited an active French investigation into allegations of torture and forced disappearance stemming from a 2021 legal complaint over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. When questioned by reporters regarding human rights criticism, an Elysée adviser stated that French authorities “at no point, when we attract a project, do we seek to lecture others.”
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