France Prepares Saudi-Backed Deal for Japanese Dragon Ball Theme Park

French regional authorities are preparing to sign an agreement with Saudi investors to construct a massive amusement park based on Japan’s iconic Dragon Ball franchise.

The project targets a development footprint comparable to Disneyland Paris, backed by capital from a Saudi investment company.

Valerie Pecresse, head of the Ile-de-France regional government, confirmed that French officials spent 18 months structuring the proposal ahead of bilateral talks in Paris. Talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Elysee Palace anchored the negotiations, with the entertainment park forming part of a broader package of commercial accords.

Site selection northwest of Paris

Plans for the venue point to Courdimanche, a municipality northwest of the French capital. While officials have not disclosed total capital expenditure, the scale required to match major European destination parks typically demands billions of euros in infrastructure, ride engineering, and hospitality real estate.

Licensing Japanese intellectual property for overseas locations has accelerated across the entertainment industry. Bandai Namco and affiliated Japanese rights holders have increasingly monetised manga and anime catalogues through physical retail, location-based entertainment, and global tourist hubs.

Sovereign capital and Japanese entertainment assets

Gulf investment entities continue to funnel capital into global media and interactive entertainment properties, diversifying state portfolios away from hydrocarbons. Saudi Arabia previously announced its own dedicated Dragon Ball park at the Qiddiya development project outside Riyadh, illustrating a focused campaign to secure long-term rights around Japanese pop culture brands.

European operators face shifting consumer demand as audiences seek immersive, single-franchise destinations over traditional mixed-attraction venues. Commercial agreements spanning the site purchase, planning permits, and formal construction timelines remain subject to final sign-off following the bilateral summit.