France and Saudi Arabia Confirm €6bn Dragon Ball Theme Park Near Paris

Key Points

• France and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding for a €6 billion (roughly $7 billion) entertainment complex near Paris.
• The development, planned around Cergy-Pontoise, will include three separate theme parks, with one based on the Japanese manga and anime franchise Dragon Ball.
• The agreement was confirmed on Monday, 24 August 2026, during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s state visit to France.
• Qiddiya Investment Company, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, will finance and lead the project.
• Officials expect the development to create about 22,000 jobs.
• The idea reportedly came from a shared interest in Dragon Ball Z between President Emmanuel Macron and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which they discovered during Macron’s 2025 visit to Saudi Arabia.
• The proposed site includes the former Mirapolis amusement park grounds in Courdimanche, near Cergy, in the Val-d’Oise department.
• Île-de-France regional president Valérie Pécresse said the region had been working on the project for 18 months.
• Qiddiya is also developing a separate Dragon Ball theme park in Qiddiya City near Riyadh, covering more than 500,000 square metres.
• No construction timeline or opening date has been announced, while the themes of the other two parks have not yet been disclosed.

Cergy-Pontoise (Britain Today News) August 25, 2026 — France and Saudi Arabia have agreed to build a €6 billion entertainment complex of three theme parks near Paris, including one based on the Japanese manga and anime franchise Dragon Ball, in a deal confirmed by the Élysée Palace during a state visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The agreement, signed on Monday, 24 August 2026, is expected to create around 22,000 jobs and represents one of the largest single leisure and tourism investments announced in France in decades.

What Has Been Announced?

France and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding for a €6 billion investment to build three theme parks near Paris, including one based on Dragon Ball, according to the French presidency. The deal marks the formal confirmation of a project that had been rumoured for months, bringing together French planning authorities, Saudi capital and one of the world’s best-known anime properties under a single, unified development plan.

Where Will the New Theme Park Complex Be Built?

The site chosen for the parks is the Cergy-Pontoise area, located about 30 kilometres outside Paris to the north-west. According to detailed local reporting, the former Mirapolis amusement park site in Courdimanche, within the Val-d’Oise department, has been at the centre of discussions. Mirapolis opened in 1987 and was intended to become one of France’s leading theme parks, remaining particularly associated with its monumental Gargantua statue, but the venture struggled with financial difficulties and weak attendance before closing in 1991 after only a few seasons. The August 24 announcement outlines a broader complex located near Cergy-Pontoise, without specifying the exact land area allocated to each of the three planned parks.

How Much Will the Project Cost and Who Is Funding It?

The total investment is set at €6 billion, equivalent to roughly $7 billion. Construction will proceed in stages, with no opening date yet announced. Financing is being provided by Qiddiya Investment Company, described as an investment firm that is a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. The contractual terms for any potential use of the Dragon Ball licence in France were not made public in the documents reviewed by journalists, meaning several commercial details of the arrangement have yet to be disclosed.

Why Is Dragon Ball at the Centre of the Project?

The idea was reportedly born after 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, according to Macron’s advisers. The two leaders also appeared together at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup in Paris the day before the theme park agreement was announced, underlining the personal dimension officials have attached to the project’s origins.

What Did Emmanuel Macron Say About the Project?

President Macron publicised the announcement directly, writing on social media platform X:

“In Cergy-Pontoise, three theme parks will be built. 6 billion euros of investment. 22,000 jobs created. Unprecedented since Disneyland Paris.”

How Many Jobs Will the Development Create?

The three-park complex is expected to create 22,000 jobs, a figure repeated across official statements from the Élysée Palace and cited by regional officials involved in the project. The scale of employment projected reflects the size of the wider destination, which is intended to include hotels and additional leisure facilities alongside the three parks themselves.

What Has Île-de-France Regional President Valérie Pécresse Said?

Regional authorities have been closely involved in laying the groundwork for the project. Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region, said the region had been working on the file for eighteen months, describing the project to broadcaster TF1 as being built “on the scale of Disney.” Her comments indicate that regional planning discussions predate Monday’s formal state-level announcement by well over a year.

What Role Does Qiddiya Play in the Project?

Qiddiya Investment Company is central to the deal. The company is part of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and is leading the project as part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 diversification strategy, which aims to reduce the country’s economic reliance on oil by expanding sectors including tourism, sport, gaming and entertainment. Qiddiya has already built substantial experience delivering large-scale leisure destinations domestically, most notably through its flagship Qiddiya City development near Riyadh.

How Does This Compare With Qiddiya’s Dragon Ball Park in Saudi Arabia?

Qiddiya is already developing what is described as the world’s first dedicated Dragon Ball theme park in Saudi Arabia, a 500,000-square-metre site featuring seven themed zones following Goku’s journey from the original Dragon Ball series through Dragon Ball Super, with more than 30 attractions planned, including a 70-metre-tall Shenron roller coaster. In Saudi Arabia, the group is developing that park as part of a long-term partnership with Toei Animation, the Japanese studio behind the Dragon Ball anime. The Riyadh-area project gives an indication of the scale Qiddiya could bring to its French venture, although officials have stressed that the design and content of the Cergy-Pontoise parks have not yet been finalised.
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When Will the Theme Park Open?

No opening date has been set, and construction is expected to take several years, with French officials saying key details of the sprawling development still need to be finalised. Several important questions remain outstanding, including the precise timeline, the exact scope of the site and the final content of the three parks, meaning further announcements are likely as planning progresses.

What Does This Mean for France’s Tourism Economy?

The project would add a major new attraction to the Paris region’s already substantial tourism offer, which is anchored by Disneyland Paris. A second large-scale, internationally recognised entertainment destination within commuting distance of the capital could extend average visitor stays and draw new international tourism, particularly from fans of Japanese manga and anime, a sector with a rapidly growing global fanbase. For Saudi Arabia, the deal extends Qiddiya’s ambitions beyond its domestic market, giving the kingdom’s entertainment strategy a highly visible foothold in Europe. For France, it brings substantial foreign investment, thousands of jobs and a further boost to the Île-de-France region’s standing as a global leisure destination, though the precise shape of the finished complex and the fate of the historic Mirapolis site will not become clear until further details are confirmed in the months ahead.