New £5 billion manga theme park to be built near Paris in Saudi Arabia deal

A £5bn manga-inspired theme park to be built outside of Paris has been revealed in a project so substantial that the French president compared it to the construction of Disneyland Paris.

Plans were unveiled for three new theme parks to be built ​near Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of Paris, with one expected to be inspired by the popular Japanese franchise Dragon Ball Z.

The announcement was made during a visit to France by Saudi Arabia’s Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as part of a “strategic partnership” between the two countries.

Saudi-owned stock company Qiddiya will provide funding to develop a major, mixed-use park destination in the Île-de-France region of the capital, which will bring together “entertainment, leisure, hospitality, culture and sport within an integrated new destination”.

Initial plans include building three major entertainment areas, with hotels and leisure facilities, projected to cost €6bn (£5bn) and create 22,000 jobs.

The project, which was given the green light during the two-day state visit, stems from a previous conversation between Mr Macron and Prince bin Salman about their shared passion for the Dragon Ball Z Japanese comics, advisors to the president told reporters on Monday, per BBC News.

French President Emmanuel Macron said of the announcement: “You know my passion for manga. You also know my determination to attract to France the investments that create jobs and make the most ambitious projects possible.”

“Nothing like this has been seen since Disneyland Paris. A new global destination. Here, in France. Thank you to Qiddiya and Saudi Arabia for their trust in our country, in our talents, and in our future,” he added.

Another Dragon Ball Z theme park was also announced by Qiddiya in 2024 to be built near the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

An opening date for the three theme parks has yet to be announced.

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