.svg)
France and Saudi Arabia have agreed on a $7 billion theme park project near Paris as the two countries seek to deepen economic, defence and strategic cooperation.
Mariyam Adheela
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made a rare overseas trip to France to meet President Emmanuel Macron © LOU BENOIST / POOL/AFP
PARIS: France and Saudi Arabia have agreed to develop a $7 billion amusement park complex near Paris, as French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seek to strengthen economic and defence ties between the two countries.
The project was announced on Monday following talks between Macron and Prince Mohammed at the Élysée Palace. It will involve the construction of three theme parks near Cergy-Pontoise, around 30 kilometres northwest of Paris.
One of the parks is expected to have a manga theme, with the project reportedly inspired by the leaders’ shared interest in manga, particularly Dragon Ball Z, which they discussed during a 2024 meeting in Riyadh.
The development will be led by Qiddiya, an investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, and is expected to create around 22,000 jobs.
Macron described the project as an “extraordinary” investment that could establish a new global destination comparable to Disneyland Paris. He also presented the agreement as part of his “Choose France” initiative aimed at attracting foreign investment and creating jobs.
The amusement park deal was among several agreements signed during Prince Mohammed’s visit, covering areas including energy, artificial intelligence, aviation financing, transport and healthcare.
France and Saudi Arabia also signed a letter of intent to strengthen defence cooperation, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence training and military expertise.
Two additional contracts were signed with French companies. CMA CGM will support the development of Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Islamic Port under a $434 million agreement, while Alstom will supply metro carriages for Riyadh’s metro system in a deal worth $580 million.
The visit was Prince Mohammed’s third official trip to France and his first overseas visit since Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Türkiye and Pakistan earlier this month.
Beyond economic and defence cooperation, Macron and Prince Mohammed addressed several regional issues in a joint statement.
The two countries called for a negotiated end to the US-Iran conflict and urged the restoration of normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
They also welcomed a US-brokered agreement concerning Hamas’s disarmament while calling for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza. France and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed their support for Palestinian statehood and called for Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory.
The two leaders also condemned Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping, while expressing support for Syria’s stability and recovery.
