A 1987 aerial image of the Mirapolis theme park in Val-d’Oise, where the new development will be based (TGV617/)

France and Saudi Arabia say they’ll collaborate on a €6bn project to build three theme parks near Paris.

The announcement came after a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Élysée Palace.

In aon X, Macron said the parks would be built in Cergy-Pontoise, a new town and agglomeration community in the Val d’Oise department northwest of Paris, and would create 22,000 jobs.

BBCthat one of the parks would be inspired by the Japanese manga franchise Dragon Ball Z, and would be located on the site of the Mirapolis theme park in Val-d’Oise, which closed in 1991.

“You know of my interest in manga,” Macron said on X, without giving more details.

In 2024, plans wereto build a 50ha theme park, also based on Dragon Ball Z, near Riyadh.

Saudi state-owned investment fund Qiddiyathat a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries had been signed to begin a phase of joint work to define the project’s scope, development model and contractual framework.

Qiddiya said the MoU was among several agreements and memoranda signed during Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to France.