French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans for a massive €6 billion (roughly US$7 billion) theme park development in Cergy-Pontoise, about 30 kilometers outside Paris. One of three parks in the complex will be themed around Dragon Ball, making it the second major Dragon Ball theme park project backed by Qiddiya Investment Company, the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund subsidiary already funding a similar park in Saudi Arabia.

The project was approved during a state visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman this week, with France and Saudi Arabia signing a memorandum of understanding. Macron's office called it the largest theme park project France has undertaken since Disneyland Paris opened in 1992.

Local reports suggest one of the parks could be built on the former site of Mirapolis, a theme park that closed in Val-d'Oise in 1991. The development is expected to generate 22,000 jobs across the three parks.

Dragon Ball's place as one of anime's most recognizable franchises worldwide makes it a natural draw for major entertainment investments. The series' 40-year cultural footprint—from manga to anime to merchandise—has made it bankable at a scale few anime properties match. A Dragon Ball theme park offers visitors attractions centered on the franchise's iconic characters, worlds, and action sequences in ways that extend beyond traditional anime fandom.

No construction or opening dates have been announced. Macron's office faced questions about the partnership with Saudi Arabia given international criticism of the nation's human rights record, but declined to comment beyond stating that France does not "seek to lecture others" when attracting investment projects.

The announcement comes as anime and manga properties increasingly attract major real-world investment, signaling growing recognition of Asian pop culture's commercial pull in Western markets.