After acquiring golf and Electronic Arts, Saudi Arabia is now investing $7 billion to build a Dragon Ball Z theme park in France. This will be the second Dragon Ball Z theme park globally, with the first already under construction in Qiddiya City, near the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
French President Macron expressed great excitement and satisfaction with this investment. He stated on social media: "You know my passion for manga. You also know my determination to attract investments to France that create jobs and enable the most ambitious projects."
The plan was announced immediately after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the French capital. You might ask, why? According to Reuters: "The idea stemmed from French President Macron and the Saudi Crown Prince discovering their shared love for Dragon Ball Z during Macron's 2025 visit to Saudi Arabia."
Once built, the Dragon Ball Z theme park will become one of three theme parks in the Cergy-Pontoise area northwest of Paris. Macron stated that the project will create 22,000 jobs. However, construction will take several years, and the park's opening date has not yet been determined.
This is the latest example of Saudi Arabia using its sovereign wealth fund to enter the global cultural stage. In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been striving to enhance its influence in sports, entertainment, video games, and now anime.
