An agreement was signed on Monday 24 August 2026 between the Élysée and Qiddiya Investment, a subsidiary of Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF, for the creation of three theme parks on the site of the former Mirapolis theme park, near Cergy, in Val-d’Oise. The operation, described as “colossal” by President Emmanuel Macron, represents a Saudi investment of €6 billion and is expected to generate 22,000 direct jobs.
An agreement signed during the Saudi crown prince’s visit to Paris
The visit to Paris by Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, enabled the finalisation of discussions begun over the summer concerning the site of the former Mirapolis park, which has been closed for 35 years. The visit, devoted primarily to crises in the Middle East, was also marked by the signing of several bilateral agreements, notably in defence and with French groups CMA-CGM and Alstom.
According to sources close to the President, the project originated in a discussion between Emmanuel Macron and the crown prince in December 2024 in Riyadh, during which the two leaders discovered a shared interest in manga, and in particular in Dragon Ball Z.
Three theme parks on the former Mirapolis site
The project involves the creation of three theme parks in Cergy-Pontoise, one of which will be dedicated to the Dragon Ball universe. The themes of the other two parks have not yet been specified, and construction is expected to take place over several years, with no delivery timeline set.
🔗 Also on THT Six Flags Qiddiya City to open on 31 December! [Note for editor: source link points to a French-language LTH article; verify whether an English equivalent exists before publication.]
€6 billion, 22,000 jobs, and a hotel and residential component
The announced figures of €6 billion in investment and 22,000 direct jobs place this project among the largest tourism investments ever made in France.
Beyond the attractions themselves, the project includes the construction of housing for employees and local residents, as well as hotels to accommodate visitors. This accommodation component follows the logic of major leisure complexes, where hotel provision serves as a lever for profitability and additional footfall, along the lines of the model developed by Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée.
🔗 Also on THT According to Forbes, five Disneyland Paris hotels alone generated €3.4 billion over 10 years [Note for editor: source link points to a French-language LTH article; verify whether an English equivalent exists before publication.]
A strategic diversification for Riyadh amid economic pressure
For Saudi Arabia, this project forms part of a strategy to diversify its portfolio of overseas assets, against a backdrop of domestic economic slowdown. Saudi GDP fell by 4.8% in the second quarter of 2026, hit by export difficulties in the oil sector linked to the war waged by the United States against Iran, despite the partial rerouting of exports around the Strait of Hormuz via the port of Yanbu.
This situation has led the kingdom to scale back certain large-scale domestic projects, such as the new city of The Line, while Saudi public debt could reach 55% of GDP by 2028 and as much as 60% by 2030, according to estimates from Capital Economics. Camille Lons, deputy director of the ECFR’s Paris office, notes that the Saudi trade-off between domestic investment and overseas diversification remains, at this stage, uncertain.
An expanded Franco-Saudi partnership
The theme park project forms part of the Franco-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council, whose first meeting was held on Monday, alongside the visit. For France, which has so far prioritised its relations with the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf, this rapprochement with Riyadh addresses a need to rebalance its economic partnerships in the region, amid a broader reshaping of the balance of power in the Middle East.
In 2025, France was Saudi Arabia’s seventh-largest supplier and its fourth-largest foreign investor, with a direct investment stock of €16.3 billion. Around 170 French companies are currently present in Saudi Arabia.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Saudi Arabia’s PIF to invest €6bn in three theme parks near Paris, with a hotel and residential component
Deal signed August 24, 2026 between the Élysée and Qiddiya Investment, a PIF subsidiary
Location: former Mirapolis theme park site, Cergy-Pontoise, Val-d’Oise, closed for 35 years
Investment: €6 billion, expected to create 22,000 direct jobs
One of the three parks will be dedicated to the Dragon Ball manga universe; themes for the other two not yet disclosed
Project includes hotels for visitors and housing for staff and local residents
No fixed construction timeline announced at this stage
