The French government and Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement on the development of three theme parks near Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of Paris. According to President Emmanuel Macron, the project involves an investment of €6 billion. One of the parks will likely be based on the Japanese manga and anime franchise Dragon Ball. However, many practical details still need to be worked out.
The plans were announced on August 24 during the official visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to France. On the Élysée website, the French government confirms the arrival of three parks, the investment of €6 billion, and the intended creation of 22.000 jobs.
Macron presents the initiative as a development that France has not seen since the arrival of Disneyland Paris. He speaks of a new international destination for France. Behind the project is Qiddiya Investment Company, an enterprise that is part of the Saudi state investment fund Public Investment Fund, or PIF for short.
From one park to three parks
The scale of the plan is larger than initially assumed. In late July, the first reports appeared in French media regarding talks between the Élysée and Qiddiya. At that time, it concerned a single theme park with an estimated investment of approximately €1 billion.
That park would be inspired by Dragon Ball and possibly rise on or around the former Mirapolis site in Courdimanche, part of the Cergy-Pontoise agglomeration. Mirapolis opened in 1987 but closed as early as 1991. The site is located approximately thirty kilometers northwest of the center of Paris.
The official announcement now speaks of three parks and a total investment of €6 billion. According to international news agencies, an agreement or letter of intent was signed during the Crown Prince's visit by French Minister of Economy Roland Lescure and Qiddiya CEO Abdullah Al Dawood.
The parks would be developed sequentially. A concrete phasing or opening date has not yet been announced.
Dragon Ball not yet formally confirmed by license holder
According to French media, one of the three parks will have a manga theme. Dragon Ball is explicitly mentioned in this context. Following the announcement, French Regional President Valérie Pécresse spoke explicitly about a Dragon Ball park on the Mirapolis grounds.
However, some caution is advised. The themes and names of the parks are not mentioned in the official publication on Elysee.fr. Furthermore, neither Qiddiya nor the Japanese rights holders behind Dragon Ball have yet published separate confirmation regarding a French establishment.
Qiddiya is already working on a large-scale Dragon Ball theme park in Saudi Arabia. The announced concept near Riyadh includes seven themed areas, more than thirty attractions, hotels, and hospitality. A defining feature will be an approximately seventy-meter-tall dragon incorporating a roller coaster. It is not yet known to what extent the French park will follow this concept.
New competitiveness for the Paris region
If the full program is implemented, the Paris region will gain a third large cluster of international theme parks alongside Disneyland Paris and Parc Astérix. Cergy-Pontoise is located on the opposite side of the French capital from Disneyland Paris, which is situated to the east of Paris.
With three parks, potential accommodation, and additional facilities, a self-contained multi-day destination could emerge. This would have implications not only for the French attractions sector but also for hotels, transport providers, travel agencies, and other tourism businesses. Moreover, due to the combination of internationally renowned intellectual property and accessibility from Paris, the project could attract a new stream of foreign visitors.
For the time being, the comparison with Disneyland Paris is based primarily on the size of the investment and the expected number of jobs. No official figures have yet been published regarding the surface area, capacity, and expected visitor numbers of the three parks.
An announcement is not yet a building decree.
Although the involvement of the Élysée and the signing with Qiddiya give the project official status, the development is still in an early phase. The precise land position, permits, environmental impacts, and necessary infrastructure still need to be worked out.
It is also unclear what proportion of the announced 22.000 jobs will be created directly at the parks and whether this includes temporary employment during construction. Moreover, for a project of this magnitude, agreements are required with the Île-de-France region and the municipalities involved regarding accessibility, public transport, energy supply, and spatial integration.
The announcement thus marks an important step, but not yet the definitive start of construction. In particular, further communication from Qiddiya, the local authorities, and the involved license holders must clarify how concrete the three parks have become.
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