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French President Announces Manga Theme Park
Anime News Network • • world
Key Points:
- French President Emmanuel Macron announced a €6 billion (US$7 billion) project to build three theme parks in Cergy-Pontoise, near Paris, including one manga-themed park expected to be based on the Dragon Ball series.
- The project is a partnership with Saudi Arabia's Qiddiya Investment Company, linked to the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, and is projected to create 22,000 new jobs, marking a development scale not seen since Disneyland Paris.
- The agreement was signed during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's recent state visit to France, with one park potentially located on the former Mirapolis site in Val-d'Oise, which closed in 1991.
- Macron's office defended the partnership despite criticisms of Saudi Arabia's human rights record, emphasizing that France does not seek to lecture partners when attracting projects, amid protests related to the Khashoggi killing.
- No timelines for construction or opening of the theme parks have been provided as of now.
