France and Saudi Arabia have announced plans for a six-billion-euro ($7bn) amusement park near Paris, according to Al Jazeera — the agreement was revealed following talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Elysee Palace.

Three Theme Parks to Create 22,000 Jobs

Macron’s office stated the project will include three theme parks, one of which is expected to be manga-themed, near Cergy-Pontoise, about 30km northwest of Paris; the project is expected to create roughly 22,000 jobs and will be led by Qiddiya, an investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.

Macron called the project “extraordinary” and said it would create a “new global destination” on the scale of Disneyland Paris. He thanked Qiddiya and Saudi Arabia for their “trust” in French talent, framing the investment as a win for his “Choose France” drive to attract job-creating foreign capital.

Shared Passion for Manga Led to the Project

The project stemmed from a discussion between Macron and MBS in December 2024 in Riyadh, where they discovered their “shared passion” for manga, “and in particular Dragon Ball Z,” an adviser to the French president told reporters. Macron is known to be a manga fan and earlier this year ended a press briefing with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi by doing a hand gesture from the Dragon Ball series.

According to local reports, the theme parks could be built on the site of the former Mirapolis park in Val-d’Oise, which closed 35 years ago. An opening date for the parks has not been set by the Élysée Palace, but they will open in stages and construction is expected to take years.

The project was given the green light during a two-day state visit to France by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, while the Élysée said the project would create about 2,000 jobs, but the official figure remains 22,000. The deal also signals deeper ties between France and Saudi Arabia, with leaders expected to sign several agreements on health, transport, and energy during the visit.

Additional Agreements and Strategic Ties

During the visit, two other contracts were signed with French companies — CMA CGM will help develop Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Islamic Port on the Red Sea for $434m. Alstom will supply metro carriages for Riyadh’s metro for $580m, as these agreements were signed in a ceremony attended by Macron and MBS.

The visit marks MBS’s third official trip to France and comes as Saudi Arabia pursues security ties beyond its traditional partnerships, while it was also the Saudi crown prince’s first trip abroad since signing the trilateral Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Turkey and Pakistan earlier this month.

Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith, reporting from Paris, said there was also “a letter of intent signed, reinforcing cooperation on defence – an exchange of expertise on cybersecurity, AI training and military training.” The Saudi Arabian defence market is a significant market for French defence manufacturers, as Saudi Arabia looks for new strategic partners.

The French government wants to ensure it continues working with Saudi Arabia on the country’s defence; Beyond the economic and defence agenda, Macron and MBS also issued a joint statement addressing several regional flashpoints. The two sides called for a negotiated end to the conflict between the United States and Iran and demanded a return to normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

They also welcomed the US-brokered agreement on Hamas’s disarmament while pressing for a sustainable ceasefire in Israel’s conflict with Gaza; they affirmed support for Palestinian statehood and called for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory. They went on to condemn attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on Saudi Arabia as well as on commercial shipping. The two men also voiced support for Syria’s stability and recovery.

Saudi Arabia is aiming to diversify its economy away from its dependence on oil revenues, including via investment in the leisure and entertainment industry. On Sunday, Macron hosted bin Salman at the closing of the Esports World Cup, which was due to be held in Riyadh but was moved to Paris due to safety concerns over the conflict in the Middle East.

Macron said bin Salman’s two-day state visit marked an “important milestone.” He added that in the face of challenges in the Middle East, “France and Saudi Arabia have always worked together to promote peace and stability.”