$7 Billion Dragon Ball Z Theme Park Officially in the Works
Even world leaders are really big weebs
Dragon Ball Z is known for fusion and team-ups, but this is one pairing we didn't see coming. On Monday, the Élysée Palace announced France and Saudi Arabia will collaborate to build a manga-themed amusement park inspired by Dragon Ball Z in France. It will cost the two nations €6 billion ($7 billion) and will be built north-west of Paris.
According to a report from Reuters, the idea for the French Dragon Ball theme park arose from a 2025 meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Each leader learned the other was a huge fan of Akira Toriyama's iconic franchise.
The project will be financed by Qiddiya, a Saudi entertainment and investment group. It's the same company that's constructing the Dragon Ball theme park in Qiddiya City, a still-being-developed entertainment hub outside of Riyadh. That park will house over five rides, 30 attractions, a 230-foot Shenron, hotels, and restaurants.
Another Dragon Ball theme park is just one of Saudi Arabia's many forays into sports and entertainment as an attempt to launder its public image via "sportswashing." It has previously established the LIV Golf league and recently completed the Public Investment Fund's (PIF) purchase of gaming giant EA, among other investments.
Saudi Arabia is known for its authoritarian regime and its human rights abuses. It utilizes capital punishment for various nonviolent offenses, tortures prisoners, restricts free speech, facilitates horrific work conditions for migrant laborers, enforces anti-LGBTQ laws, and more. Bin Salman has been accused of ordering the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, according to reports of findings by the CIA.
No opening date or construction timeline was shared as part of the announcement. The Dragon Ball theme park is one of three theme parks France is looking to build near Paris.