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Saudi Arabia will invest €6 billion into building three theme parks close to Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday.
Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sealed the deal for the project during an official visit to the French capital, where they also discussed “major economic and strategic issues” as well as key regional matters, per the Élysée.
In a post on X, Macron hailed the “extraordinary announcement,” saying the parks would become a “new global destination” and would create 22,000 jobs.
The parks are set to be constructed in Cergy-Pontoise at the site of the former Mirapolis theme park to the northwest of Paris, and are expected to include a manga-themed attraction. Manga is a style of comic book and graphic novel originating in Japan.
“Thank you to Qiddiya and Saudi Arabia for their confidence in our country, our talent and our future,” Macron added in his post, referencing the investment firm slated to lead the development of the parks. “Nothing like this has been seen since Disneyland Paris”.
Valérie Pécresse, the president of the Île-de-France regional council, said on social media that she was “delighted” by the news of the investment, adding that the region had been showing its support for the project over the last 18 months.
“France is the world’s leading tourist destination,” she added during an interview with France’s TF1 TV network. “We need these jobs. We need these investments.”