French President Announces Manga Theme Park – Interest

French President Emmanuel Macron announced a new 6 billion euro (about US$7 billion) theme park project. The project will build three theme parks in Cergy-Pontoise, a new development area about 30 kilometers (about 18 miles) outside of Paris. The Japan Times newspaper reported that Macron’s office said one of the theme parks “is expected to be manga-themed,” and The Japan Times and British public broadcaster BBC further specified that a theme park is “expected to be themed on the Dragon Ball series.”

Macron stated that France has partnered with the Saudi Arabian investment company Qiddiya Investment Company, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and funder of Saudi Arabia’s planned Dragon Ball theme park, for the new project near Paris. The president further stated that the project near Paris is on a scale not seen since Disneyland Paris and is projected to create 22,000 new jobs.

The Japan Times and the BBC reported the project was approved during a two-day state visit by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to France this week. The Japan Times stated the leaders “signed a memorandum of understanding” for the project. The BBC added that local report indicate one of the theme parks could be built on the former site of the Mirapolis, a theme park that closed in Val-d’Oise in 1991.

The Japan Times added that Macron’s office was asked about partnering with Saudi Arabia despite criticisms of the nation’s human rights record. The office reportedly stated, “At no point, when we attract a project, do we seek to lecture others.” The question came amid backlash from three journalists’ unions protesting the hosting of bin Salman over the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

As of press time, no construction dates or opening dates for the theme parks have been announced.

Sources: Emmanuel Macron’s X/Twitter account (link 2), BBC, The Japan Times, Breaking Travel News