Manga-inspired theme park to be built near Paris

The construction of three new parks was given the green light after a €6bn investment from Saudi Arabia.

Macron and bin Salman share a passion for Dragon Ball Z, according to the Élysée Palace.

An opening date for the parks - which will be built near Cergy-Pontoise - has not set by the palace, but they will open in stages and construction is expected to take years.

The project was given the green light during a two-day state visit to France by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

It stemmed from a previous discussion between Macron and bin Salman about their shared passion for Japanese comics, particularly Dragon Ball Z, advisers to the president told reporters on Monday.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is in Paris as part of a two-day state visit

Macron is known to be a manga fan and earlier this year ended a press briefing with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi by doing a hand gesture from the Dragon Ball series.

The project will be led by Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) - part of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund - which previously revealed plans in 2024 to build a Dragon Ball theme park near the country's capital, Riyadh.

According to local reports, the theme parks could be built on the site of the former Mirapolis park in Val-d'Oise, which closed 35 years ago.

The deal, which the Élysée said would create about 2,000 jobs, also signals deeper ties between France and Saudi Arabia.

The leaders are expected to sign several agreements on health, transport and energy during bin Salman's visit, which will include talks on the US and Iran conflict.

In a post on X on Sunday, Macron said bin Salman's two-day state visit marked an important milestone.

He added that in the face of challenges in the Middle East,