PARIS, 25 August. - (ANA) - France and Saudi Arabia have agreed to build a €6 billion ($7 billion) manga-themed amusement park near Paris, ​the Elysee Palace said on Monday during a visit ‌by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the French capital.

 

The project, inspired by the world of the hit Japanese manga ​and anime franchise Dragon Ball Z, will be built ​near Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of Paris, and is expected ⁠to create around 22,000 jobs, the Elysee said.

 

The idea ​was born after French President Emmanuel Macron and the Saudi ​crown prince discovered a shared enthusiasm for Dragon Ball Z during Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2025, Macron advisers said.

 

Saudi entertainment ​and investment group Qiddiya will finance the project, which ​forms part of the kingdom’s push to diversify its economy beyond oil and ‌expand ⁠its global footprint in the leisure industry.

 

No opening date has been set for what would be one of Europe’s largest theme park developments, with construction expected to take several ​years.

 

Bin Salman, ​who owns a ⁠chateau near Paris, is making a rare official trip abroad and appeared alongside Macron ​at the closing ceremony of the Esports ​World Cup ⁠in Paris on Sunday.

 

French officials cast the Dragon Ball Z project as evidence that France remains a magnet for foreign ⁠investment, ​though key details for the sprawling ​development that would include three  different theme parks are yet to be ​settled.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/25 August 2026 - - -