France, Saudi Arabia green light $7 billion Dragon Ball Z theme park
TOPSHOT – French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman attend the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, on August 23, 2026. (Photo by Teresa SUAREZ / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
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French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have committed to building a 6-billion-euro ($7 billion) theme park in the north of Paris.
The deal includes three amusement parks, with a manga-inspired park based on the popular Japanese anime series, Dragon Ball Z.
“Nothing like this has been seen since Disneyland Paris,” Macron said in a post on X on Monday, adding that the investment is expected to create over 20,000 jobs.
The announcement follows a two-day state visit to France by the Saudi Crown Prince. The two leaders discussed their shared interest in animated comics, with Macron sharing his “passion for manga” and “determination to attract investments into France.”
Fighting game enthusiasts watch players compete in a Dragon Ball Z final on the main stage during the EVO France 2025 fighting game tournament in Nice, southern France on October 11, 2025. (Photo by Frederic DIDES / AFP via Getty Images)
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The French president has used his “Choose France” summits as a way to generate foreign investment. In June, he announced that companies from across the globe had pledged $108 billion in investments across 71 projects.
“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,” Macron said in Google-translated comments on X.
Dragon Ball Z is a hugely successful Japanese anime series that began in the 1980s and has since become popular outside Japan, particularly in the United States. The brand has broadened out into films, video games and merchandise.
Theme park expansions
France is not the only country attracting theme park investment. In June, Comcast pledged to invest more than $8 billion in the U.K. to develop Europe’s first Universal resort. Located 45 minutes outside of London, the park is expected to feature immersive lands, a 500-room hotel and an entertainment complex.
KEMPSTON HARDWICK, ENGLAND – APRIL 9: Prime Minister Keir Starmer (C), Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves (2nd L), President of Comcast Corporation Michael Cavanagh (2nd R), Chief Executive of Bedford Borough Council Laura Church (L) and Chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences Mark Woodbury (R), meet on the day that U.S. media giant Comcast Corp announces its first Universal theme park and resort in Europe, on April 9, 2025 in Kempston Hardwick, England. The American production company Universal announced today that its first theme park in Europe would open on the site of a former brickworks in Kempston Hardwick, near Bedfordshire, in 2031. The UK government said it would create an estimated 28,000 jobs by the time it opens. (Photo by John Sibley – Pool/Getty Images)
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The Walt Disney Company is also undertaking a massive expansion. In 2023, the company announced plans to invest $60 billion in its experiences segment, which includes theme parks, cruise ships and consumer products. Of that investment, $30 billion will go to its domestic theme parks, Disney World and Disneyland.
However, in June, the Guardian reported that Disney still has not recouped its $4.2 billion investment in Disneyland Paris after more than 30 years.
— CNBC’s Devan Burris helped contribute to this article.