France and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding for a €6 billion Saudi investment to develop three theme parks near Paris, one of which is planned to have a manga theme, as reported by Le Monde.
During a two-day trip to France, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed the agreement with President Emmanuel Macron.
In a statement, Macron says: "In Cergy-Pontoise, 3 theme parks will come to life. 6 billion euros in investments. 22,000 jobs created. 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. This is the very essence of Choose France: to seek out the most ambitious projects and make France the country where they become reality. To create jobs. To make France shine."
Strengthening ties
Qiddiya, an investment firm and subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, will lead the project.
The project began with a conversation in December 2024 in Riyadh between the republic's president and the crown prince, during which they found they shared an interest in manga, especially Dragon Ball Z.
Macron's office stated that one park will be manga-themed, while the themes of the other two remain undisclosed. The parks are planned to be built and opened gradually, with construction expected to take several years, and no specific opening date has been announced.
A joint statement by France and Saudi Arabia says that, as France has become a leading investor in Saudi Arabia, the two countries have agreed to strengthen their economic ties and cross-investments, adding:
"Both countries welcome Qiddiya Investment Company’s ambition to develop a major mixed-use, multi-park destination in Cergy-Pontoise, in the Île-de-France region, bringing together entertainment, leisure, hospitality, culture and sport within an integrated new destination.
"Current ambitions include up to three major entertainment anchors, hotels and complementary leisure experiences, for a total amount of around €6 billion over the development lifecycle."
Saudi Arabia and France reiterated the significance of their collaboration on AlUla as part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, especially in archaeology, heritage, and culture. The partnership between Saudi Arabia and France for AlUla is now set to continue until 2035.
The $15 billion AlUla giga-project is set to be the world's largest living museum. Upon completion in 2035, it will include five unique districts, five heritage sites, 15 cultural venues and museums, 10 million square metres of green space, and 5,000 hotel rooms.
Charlotte Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.
