Saudi Arabia to Invest $7 Billion in Paris-Area Theme Parks, Macron Says

PARIS —

France and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement Monday for a $7 billion (6 billion euro) Saudi investment to build three theme parks outside Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron's office said, according to France 24.

The memorandum of understanding was signed during a two-day visit to France by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler. The Élysée presidential palace called the project "colossal," France 24 reported. Macron himself described it on social media as an "unprecedented announcement" that would create a "new global destination."

A Manga-Themed Park Near Disneyland's Backyard

The parks will rise near Cergy-Pontoise, about 30 kilometers northwest of Paris, and will be built and opened in stages over several years, though no opening date has been set, according to the Élysée. One of the three parks is expected to be themed around manga, most likely Dragon Ball Z, France 24 reported. The themes of the other two have not been announced.

The project will be led by Qiddiya, an investment firm owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. The Élysée said the parks are expected to create about 22,000 direct jobs, more than the roughly 20,000 tied to Disneyland Paris.

An adviser to Macron told reporters the idea grew out of a December 2024 conversation between Macron and the crown prince in Riyadh, where the two discovered what the adviser described as a "shared passion" for manga, and Dragon Ball Z in particular, according to France 24. Valerie Pecresse, president of the regional council for the greater Paris area, told French broadcaster TF1 that regional officials had been working on the project for 18 months and compared its scale to Disneyland, Al Jazeera reported.

Rights Groups and Unions Object to the Visit

The visit was the crown prince's third trip to France, following stops in 2022 and 2023, and his first international trip since Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a mutual defense pact in Mecca on August 7, according to Al Jazeera. Bin Salman and Macron also held talks Monday on regional security, including the war in Iran and the conflict in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.

Three French journalists' unions protested the visit Sunday, citing an ongoing French investigation into torture and forced disappearance tied to the 2021 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to France 24. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded the crown prince was directly involved in Khashoggi's 2018 murder at a Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and a United Nations investigation called it an extrajudicial killing for which Saudi Arabia is responsible. Asked about the criticism, Macron's office told France 24: "At no point, when we attract a project, do we seek to lecture others."