France and Saudi Arabia have announced plans to develop a six-billion-euro ($7bn) amusement park complex near Paris, marking one of the largest Saudi investments in France as the two countries seek to strengthen economic, defence and strategic ties.
The project was announced following talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Elysee Palace, where the two leaders oversaw the signing of a series of agreements covering sectors including energy, artificial intelligence, aviation, transport and healthcare.
Prince Mohammed’s visit to France was his third official trip to the country and came as Saudi Arabia seeks to strengthen partnerships beyond its traditional allies. It was also his first foreign visit since the signing of the trilateral Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Turkiye and Pakistan earlier this month.
The amusement park complex will be built near Cergy-Pontoise, about 30 kilometres northwest of Paris. According to the French presidency, the development will include three theme parks, one of which is expected to be based around manga. The project is expected to create around 22,000 jobs and will be led by Qiddiya, an entertainment and tourism investment company backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Macron described the project as “extraordinary” and said that it would help create a new international tourist destination comparable in scale to Disneyland Paris. The French president thanked Qiddiya and Saudi Arabia for their confidence in France and its workforce, presenting the investment as part of his government’s broader efforts to attract foreign capital and create jobs. “We’re not done surprising the world,” Macron said, adding that he is “very proud of this achievement.”
The project emerged from discussions between Macron and Prince Mohammed during a visit to Riyadh in December 2024. According to an adviser to the French president, the two leaders discovered a shared interest in manga and, in particular, the Japanese series Dragon Ball Z. The planned manga-themed park is expected to form part of the wider entertainment complex, although further details about its attractions, construction timetable and opening date have yet to be announced.
The investment represents another step in Saudi Arabia’s efforts to expand its international economic presence as part of its broader diversification strategy. Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in tourism, entertainment, sports, technology and infrastructure in recent years as it seeks to reduce its long-term dependence on oil revenues.
For France, the project represents a significant foreign investment at a time when Macron’s government has continued to promote the country as a destination for international businesses and investors through its “Choose France” initiative. The theme park agreement was among several economic deals signed during Prince Mohammed’s visit.
French marine logistics company CMA CGM signed a contract worth $434m to support the development of Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Islamic Port on the Red Sea. Another agreement was reached with French rail transport company Alstom, which will supply metro carriages for Riyadh’s metro system under a contract valued at approximately $580m.
The wider agreements also covered cooperation in energy, artificial intelligence, aviation financing, transport and healthcare, reflecting the expanding scope of relations between Paris and Riyadh.
France, Saudi Arabia Discuss Conflicts
Beyond the economic agenda, Macron and Prince Mohammed discussed several regional conflicts and security issues. In a joint statement, France and Saudi Arabia called for a negotiated end to the conflict between the United States and Iran and urged the restoration of normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime routes for oil and other goods.
The two countries also welcomed the United States-brokered agreement concerning Hamas’s disarmament while calling for a sustainable ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. Macron and Prince Mohammed reaffirmed their support for Palestinian statehood and called for Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory.
The two leaders also condemned attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement against Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping in the region. On Syria, France and Saudi Arabia expressed support for the country’s stability and recovery as Damascus continues efforts to rebuild after years of conflict.
The range of agreements and joint positions underscored the growing strategic importance of relations between France and Saudi Arabia. While the proposed theme park near Paris represents the most visible outcome of the visit, the broader package of deals reflects cooperation extending well beyond tourism and entertainment.
As preparations for the development begin, further details are expected to emerge about the three planned theme parks and the scale of the wider tourism infrastructure surrounding them. If completed as planned, the six-billion-euro project could become one of the largest entertainment developments in Europe and add a major new attraction to the Paris region’s already significant tourism industry.
READ ALSO: Iran Tightens Hormuz Control As Economic Pressure Mounts
