Fez — France and Saudi Arabia are moving ahead with plans for a major new entertainment complex near Paris, with a “Dragon Ball” theme park expected to become one of its headline attractions.
France and Saudi Arabia confirmed the broader project following a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on August 24.
The development is planned for Cergy-Pontoise in the Île-de-France region, roughly 30 kilometers northwest of Paris.
Current plans call for up to three major entertainment attractions, hotels, leisure facilities, cultural spaces, and sports infrastructure. The total investment is expected to reach around €6 billion (MAD 64 billion) over the project’s development.
Reuters reported that a “Dragon Ball Z”-themed park will form part of the development, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya Investment Company. The project is also expected to create around 22,000 jobs.
Goku could be heading to Paris
The proposed site is particularly interesting because Cergy-Pontoise already has theme park history.
The development is expected to use land around the former Mirapolis amusement park in Courdimanche, which closed in the early 1990s. AFP reported earlier this month that discussions between French authorities and Qiddiya had been underway for months before the formal announcement.
The idea reportedly has an unusual diplomatic origin.
French and Saudi officials said Macron and Mohammed bin Salman discovered a shared enthusiasm for manga during discussions in Riyadh in December 2024. That interest eventually fed into negotiations for the French entertainment project.
No opening date, ticket prices, ride lineup, or final park design has been announced.
Saudi Arabia is already building a ‘Dragon Ball’ world
Saudi Arabia is not entering the “Dragon Ball” theme park business from scratch.
Qiddiya Investment Company unveiled its own enormous “Dragon Ball Theme Park” near Riyadh in 2024 through a partnership with Toei Animation.
The Saudi project spans more than 500,000 square meters and is divided into seven zones inspired by the seven Dragon Balls.
Qiddiya says visitors will be able to explore recreations of locations including Kame House, Capsule Corporation, and Beerus’ Planet. More than 30 rides are planned alongside five major attractions, themed hotels, and restaurants.
Its centerpiece is expected to be a 70-meter-high Shenron structure wrapped around a rollercoaster.
Those details apply to the Saudi park, not the planned French project. Qiddiya and French authorities have not said whether the Paris-area attraction will copy the same rides, zones, or design.
If the French plan reaches construction as envisioned, however, it would extend one of Japan’s most recognizable entertainment franchises into another major global tourism market.
For “Dragon Ball” fans in Europe, that could eventually mean something previously requiring a flight to Saudi Arabia becomes a train ride from Paris.
