Saudi Arabia’s €6 Billion Paris Theme Park Deal, Explained

France and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding for a Saudi-backed entertainment complex near Paris. Led by Qiddiya Investment Company, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the proposal calls for three theme parks near Cergy-Pontoise, around 30 kilometres northwest of the French capital. The announced investment is €6 billion, or about $7 billion, and French authorities estimate that the project could create roughly 22,000 direct jobs. 13

The announcement is significant—but it is not the same as a completed theme-park development. The agreement is still a preliminary framework, and the public record does not yet include a final master plan, confirmed operators, an opening date or the complete set of intellectual-property arrangements. 12

What the memorandum confirms

The core proposal is a three-park destination in the Cergy-Pontoise area. Qiddiya is expected to finance and lead the development, linking the French project to Saudi Arabia’s wider investment in entertainment and tourism. The Élysée presented the project as a development of exceptional scale for France, with President Emmanuel Macron comparing its potential importance with the period since Disneyland Paris. 126

The headline figure is €6 billion, alongside an estimate of 22,000 direct jobs. Those figures describe the announced investment and projected employment—not completed spending or guaranteed employment. Their eventual realization will depend on planning, financing, licensing, infrastructure and construction decisions that have not been fully disclosed. 26

Is there really going to be a Dragon Ball theme park?

One of the three parks is expected to draw on the Dragon Ball universe. Some reports have described the proposal specifically as a Dragon Ball Z park, while official descriptions have been more cautious, referring to a manga-inspired or Dragon Ball-themed component. A fully detailed licensing agreement has not been made public. 12

The themes of the other two parks have not been announced. That makes claims that all three parks will be manga-themed, or that their attractions and operators are already settled, premature. The strongest source-backed description is three proposed parks, one associated with Dragon Ball, with the rest still unspecified. 12

How the idea began

The Élysée has said the project grew from a discussion between Macron and Mohammed bin Salman during Macron’s December 2024 visit to Riyadh. According to the French presidency, the two leaders discovered a shared enthusiasm for manga, particularly Dragon Ball Z.

That personal connection is part of the project’s unusual public narrative, but it does not explain the entire deal. The memorandum was announced during a broader official visit focused on economic and strategic cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia. The two leaders also held the first meeting of the Franco-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council. 317

The proposed site and timeline

The development is associated with the former Mirapolis amusement-park site near Courdimanche, within the Cergy-Pontoise area. Mirapolis closed in 1991, and the possibility of reviving the location has added a strong local and historical dimension to the proposal.

No opening date has been announced. Reports and official statements leave important implementation questions unresolved, including the project’s exact footprint, infrastructure requirements, governance and the sequence of construction. Those uncertainties matter because a memorandum of understanding establishes cooperation and intent; it does not by itself guarantee that every announced element will be built as described. 2

Why the deal matters beyond theme parks

For France, the proposal represents a potentially major inbound investment in construction, tourism and leisure. It could create a new attraction in the Paris region and strengthen France’s position as a destination for large-scale international entertainment projects. The economic case, however, remains prospective until the investment moves from announcement to permitting and construction. 26

For Saudi Arabia, the project extends Qiddiya’s entertainment ambitions into a major European market. Saudi-backed investment in global leisure, esports and cultural projects forms part of the kingdom’s effort to diversify its economy and build influence through entertainment. The Paris proposal therefore has both a commercial purpose and a soft-power dimension. 1

The timing also gave the announcement diplomatic weight. Mohammed bin Salman’s two-day official visit produced agreements and discussions spanning areas including economic cooperation, artificial intelligence and defence, placing the theme-park memorandum inside a broader effort to deepen Franco-Saudi ties rather than treating it as an isolated tourism project. 3

The human-rights controversy

France’s decision to pursue closer commercial and strategic relations with Saudi Arabia has drawn criticism because of the kingdom’s record on political freedoms and other human-rights concerns. Reporting on the visit specifically highlighted the controversy surrounding the crown prince and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The memorandum does not indicate that those concerns have been resolved. Instead, it shows how France is balancing human-rights criticism against the attraction of Saudi investment, strategic cooperation and commercial opportunities. That tension is likely to remain part of the project’s significance if development proceeds.

The bottom line

The announcement is best understood as a major Saudi-French investment framework, not a finished theme-park plan. What is currently supported by public reporting is a €6 billion proposal for three parks near Cergy-Pontoise, an expected Dragon Ball-related park, and an estimate of 22,000 direct jobs. The two other themes, final licensing arrangements, detailed design, construction schedule and opening date remain unknown. 12

That combination—large financial ambitions, pop-culture branding and unresolved execution—explains both the project’s appeal and the need for caution when interpreting early headlines.