France and Saudi Arabia have agreed on a €6 billion plan to build a major Dragon Ball theme park near Paris. The project was announced during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the French capital on August 25, 2026.
The park will be built near Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of Paris. It will be linked to the popular Dragon Ball manga and anime series. The project is expected to bring a large new leisure site to the Paris region. It could also create about 22,000 jobs.
The project will be financed by Qiddiya, a Saudi entertainment and investment group. The company is part of Saudi Arabia’s wider plan to build new tourism and entertainment projects. The plan also aims to reduce the country’s long-term reliance on oil income.
The French government sees the project as a major foreign investment. It could give the Paris region a new tourist attraction while creating jobs in construction, tourism, retail and other services.
The Dragon Ball brand has a huge global fan base. The series has been popular for decades. Its characters and stories have reached audiences across Asia, Europe and many other parts of the world.
The project has also drawn attention because of the close link between the French and Saudi governments. President Emmanuel Macron and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met in Paris during the Saudi leader’s visit. Their talks covered several areas, including energy, defence, artificial intelligence and tourism.
The idea for the theme park grew from a shared interest in the Dragon Ball series. That interest became stronger after Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia in 2025. The two sides later worked toward a plan that could bring the Japanese franchise to a large site near the French capital.
The planned development will include three separate theme parks. Details on the rides, hotels and other facilities have not yet been fully released. Officials have also not given a firm opening date.
Construction is expected to take several years. That means the project will not bring an immediate change to the Paris tourism market. Still, the size of the investment makes it one of the most notable entertainment projects linked to France in recent years.
For Saudi Arabia, the project offers a chance to expand its global entertainment business. For France, it offers another large investment project tied to tourism and leisure.
The deal comes as Paris continues to attract major international events and visitors. The city hosted the 2024 Olympic Games and remains one of the world’s best known tourist destinations.
A large Dragon Ball attraction could add another reason for international visitors to travel to the Paris region. It could also help spread tourism beyond the main sites in central Paris.
The economic effect will depend on how quickly the project moves from agreement to construction. It will also depend on visitor demand once the park opens.
For now, the €6 billion agreement marks a major step. France and Saudi Arabia are betting that one of Japan’s best known entertainment brands can become a major attraction near Paris.
