French President Macron and Saudi Crown Prince announce 6-billion-euro theme park project

French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have committed to building a 6-billion-euro ($7 billion) theme park in the north of Paris.

The deal includes three amusement parks, with a manga-inspired park based on the popular Japanese anime series, Dragon Ball Z.

"Nothing like this has been seen since Disneyland Paris," Macron said in a post on X on Monday, adding that the investment is expected to create over 20,000 jobs.

The announcement follows a two-day state visit to France by the Saudi Crown Prince. The two leaders discussed their shared interest in animated comics, with Macron sharing his "passion for manga" and "determination to attract investments into France."

The French president has used his "Choose France" summits as a way to generate foreign investment. In June, he announced that companies from across the globe had pledged $108 billion in investments across 71 projects.

"This is the very essence of Choose France: to seek out the most ambitious projects and make France the country where they become reality. To create jobs. To make France shine," Macron said in Google-translated comments on X.

Dragon Ball Z is a hugely successful Japanese anime series that began in the 1980s and has since become popular outside Japan, particularly in the United States. The brand has broadened out into films, video games and merchandise.

France is not the only country attracting theme park investment. In June, Comcast pledged to invest more than $8 billion in the U.K. to develop Europe's first Universal resort. Located 45 minutes outside of London, the park is expected to feature immersive lands, a 500-room hotel and an entertainment complex.

The Walt Disney Company is also undertaking a massive expansion. In 2023, the company announced plans to invest $60 billion in its experiences segment, which includes theme parks, cruise ships and consumer products. Of that investment, $30 billion will go to its domestic theme parks, Disney World and Disneyland.

However, in June, the Guardian reported that Disney still has not recouped its $4.2 billion investment in Disneyland Paris after more than 30 years.