Why Saudi Money Is Building a Dragon Ball Z Park in France

The Deal That Shouldn’t Work

A $7 billion theme park based on a 1980s Japanese anime series is being built in France — funded by Saudi Arabia. It sounds like a pitch for a bad animated film. It is, in fact, happening. French President Emmanuel Macron and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the project Monday at the Esports World Cup closing ceremony at the Grand Palais in Paris. The development will include three amusement parks, one inspired by Dragon Ball Z, and is expected to create over 20,000 jobs.

Macron called it “nothing like this has been seen since Disneyland Paris” in a post on X. The comparison is deliberate — and revealing.

Why Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z premiered in 1989. It became one of the most recognizable anime franchises globally, particularly in the United States and Europe. The brand now spans films, video games, merchandise, and — apparently — a $7 billion real estate play in northern France.

The choice of IP matters more than it appears. This is not a French property. It is not an Arab one either. It is Japanese intellectual property, licensed and monetized through a Saudi-French financial structure. That is the new architecture of soft power: culture without a single national home, capital without a cultural agenda, and execution territory that offers tax incentives and political cover.

Macron told reporters he shared his “passion for manga” with MBS during the two-day state visit. Whether genuine or strategic, the gesture accomplished something tangible: it turned a personal interest into a bilateral investment framework. That is the Macron playbook — cultural affinity as diplomatic infrastructure.

The Choose France Machine

This deal is the latest output of Macron’s Choose France summits, which have become his signature tool for attracting foreign capital. In June, Macron announced companies from across the globe had pledged $108 billion in investments across 71 projects. The Dragon Ball Z park is a high-profile anchor — the kind of project that generates headlines and makes the broader portfolio look impressive.

The numbers are large but not unusual for sovereign wealth deployment. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has spent recklessly on entertainment and sports assets: the LIV Golf investment, the Newcastle United takeover, Lucbery Films, and various gaming and esports bets. This theme park fits a pattern — acquiring cultural touchstones that carry emotional weight and global reach.

The UK Is Doing the Same Thing

France is not alone. In April, Comcast announced it would invest more than $8 billion on the site of a former brickworks in Kempston Hardwick, near Bedfordshire, to build Europe’s first Universal resort. The UK government says it will create an estimated 28,000 jobs by the time it opens in 2031. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves were photographed at the announcement alongside Comcast and Universal executives. It was a performative moment — and a competitive one.

Both the UK and France are racing to position themselves as the European gateway for theme park investment. Both are leveraging government relationships and political visibility to attract capital. The difference is that France is pairing its pitch with a Gulf sovereign investor, while the UK is courting an American media conglomerate.

Disney’s Ghost

The most important cautionary tale in this conversation is Disney itself. In 2023, Disney announced a $60 billion investment in its experiences segment, including $30 billion for domestic parks at Disney World and Disneyland. But according to The Guardian, Disney has still not recouped its $4.2 billion investment in Disneyland Paris after more than 30 years.

That is a $4.2 billion bet that never paid back. A $7 billion Dragon Ball Z park is being built on top of that same continent, in the same market, with the same fundamental risk: theme parks are extraordinarily expensive to build, operate, and fill with visitors who may prefer streaming to roller coasters.

Who Wins, Who Loses

Macron wins politically. He can point to a Saudi-backed, Japan-inspired, France-built project as proof his investment strategy works. MBS wins culturally. He places Saudi capital at the center of a global pop-culture phenomenon that appeals to younger demographics — exactly the audience the Kingdom is trying to court. The Japanese IP holders win financially, licensing their brand for one of the largest theme park deals in European history.

The losers are harder to identify precisely, but they exist. French taxpayers may subsidize infrastructure for a park that ultimately belongs to foreign capital and foreign IP. UK and French workers in the hospitality and construction sectors benefit from the jobs, but those jobs are tied to a model that has historically delivered uneven returns. And Disney, already struggling to recoup its Paris investment, now faces a competitor with deep-pocketed backing and a built-in global fanbase.

What Happens Next

The park is expected to open in the 2030s. That gives everyone involved four to six years to refine the model, learn from Dubai’s mixed results with entertainment destinations, and adjust to whatever demographic and economic shifts emerge. The esports angle — announced at the Esports World Cup — suggests the developers are aware that theme parks alone may not fill seats. Integration with gaming, streaming, and digital culture is likely part of the pitch.

What is certain is that the model is spreading. When sovereign wealth treats pop-culture IP as collateral, it changes what those IPs are worth and who gets to monetize them. Dragon Ball Z may be the most visible example, but it will not be the last. The question is not whether more deals like this will happen. It is who controls the IP, who builds the parks, and who profits when the curtain falls.