Saudi Arabia is taking its rapidly expanding entertainment ambitions beyond the Kingdom with plans to invest around €6 billion ($7 billion) in three theme parks near Paris, in a project France says could create a new global tourism destination on a scale comparable with Disneyland Paris. France and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding covering the development, which will be led by Qiddiya Investment Company, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The agreement follows a meeting between His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The three parks are planned near Cergy-Pontoise, around 30 km northwest of Paris, and are expected to be developed in stages over several years. No opening date has yet been announced. The size of the investment makes the project one of Saudi Arabia’s major moves into the international leisure and entertainment sector. The French presidency described the €6 billion investment as “colossal”, while Macron called the agreement an “unprecedented announcement” and said the attractions would create “a new global destination”. The development is expected to generate around 22,000 direct jobs, according to the French presidency. That would put its employment footprint on a scale comparable with Disneyland Paris, which employs around 20,000 people.

Beyond its size, the project also signals an evolution in Saudi Arabia’s entertainment strategy. After investing heavily in new tourism, sports and entertainment destinations at home under Vision 2030, the Kingdom is now set to deploy its capital and growing entertainment ambitions in one of the world’s most established tourism markets.

Manga in the mix

One of the three French parks is expected to be manga-themed, adding an unusual dimension to the development, although the themes of the other two attractions have not yet been disclosed. The origins of the project can be traced to discussions between Macron and Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the French president’s visit to Riyadh in December 2024, according to the French presidency. An adviser to Macron said the two leaders discovered a shared interest in manga during those discussions, particularly Dragon Ball Z.

Plans for a Dragon Ball-themed attraction in France had emerged earlier in 2026 but had not previously been officially confirmed. The Élysée has now said one of the three parks is expected to have a manga theme, without specifying whether it will be dedicated to the Japanese franchise.

Going global

The Paris project comes as Saudi Arabia increases its involvement in tourism, leisure, sports and entertainment as part of Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s economic diversification programme. Qiddiya Investment Company, backed by PIF, is already developing a large-scale entertainment, sports and tourism destination near Riyadh and has been pursuing partnerships and investments aimed at building Saudi Arabia’s wider entertainment ecosystem. The proposed French parks represent a significant next step. Rather than focusing solely on developing major international-standard entertainment attractions inside Saudi Arabia, the PIF-backed company would be investing billions in leisure infrastructure in Europe.

The project would therefore give Saudi Arabia a sizeable presence in the European leisure and tourism market while extending Qiddiya’s footprint beyond the Kingdom. For France, the development promises a major new tourism and entertainment investment alongside thousands of direct jobs. For Saudi Arabia, it represents another international investment in sectors that have become increasingly important to the Kingdom’s diversification strategy.

Franco-Saudi ties

The project also comes amid strengthening economic and commercial ties between Riyadh and Paris, with the agreement announced during Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s two-day visit to France. French officials highlighted the significance of the visit, noting that the Saudi crown prince rarely travels outside the Kingdom except for major international summits.

“The fact that he chose France for this visit is an important signal and testifies to the depth and dynamism of the Franco-Saudi relationship,” a French presidential official said. Macron also welcomed the agreement on social media, describing it as an “unprecedented announcement” and saying the three attractions would create “a new global destination”. The theme park agreement was among several economic and commercial initiatives announced during the crown prince’s visit to France, which took place against the backdrop of the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

If developed as planned, the €6 billion project would give Saudi Arabia a major new presence in Europe’s leisure and tourism industry, taking the Kingdom’s fast-growing entertainment ambitions from Riyadh to the outskirts of Paris.