France and Saudi Arabia have come to the mutual conclusion that the world needs Dragon Ball Z theme park. So, they’re building one near Paris to the tune of €6 billion ($7 billion USD).
The Elysee Palace announced the news on Monday, August 23, during the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Paris. The idea was reportedly first sparked during the Crown Prince’s trip to the city last year, when he and French President Emmanuel Macron discovered their shared love for the iconic anime franchise.
The park will be constructed northwest of the capital city near Cergy-Pontoise, with the massive project expected to create approximately 22,000 jobs. Construction is predicted to take several years, with no opening date publicly announced as yet.
To no one’s surprise, Qiddiya is providing the funds for the project, which will be one of two Dragon Ball Z theme parks once all is said and done. The first theme park was officially revealed on the official Dragon Ball website back in 2024, along with extensive concept art and teasers for what it’ll look like when construction is complete.
The first park is currently being built in Qiddiya City, a massive entertainment hub currently in development just outside the capital of Riyadh. It will reportedly span more than 500,000 square meters, featuring seven recreations of locales from the series including the Kame House, Capsule Corporation, and Beerus's Planet.
Five rides will also be included as part of a 30+ attraction total, along with a 70-meter-tall statue of Shenron. It’s a massive undertaking, and one that isn’t expected to open anytime soon, with no official opening date released at the time of writing.
The announcement of Paris’s Dragon Ball theme park comes after the Esports World Cup was relocated to the city due to security concerns near Riyadh, where it was previously scheduled to take place. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince was in attendance for the competition’s closing ceremony, where Macron was also present.
This is one of several expansive investments the country has made into cultural projects within the gaming and anime space; most recently, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund completed a $55 billion acquisition of EA as part of an investor group alongside Silver Lake and Affinity Partners.
In March, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's Electronic Gaming Development Company (EGDC) acquired a 5% stake in Capcom, upping its ownership in the famed Japanese game developer and publisher to 10%.
And back in February, Saudi-owned RTS took full ownership of Evo, the world’s largest fighting game tournament series, which has since expanded to include several other global Evo events in a controversial turn of events within the fighting game community.
Image Credits: YouTube - Qiddiya
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
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