France and Saudi Arabia to Build Three Theme Parks Near Paris
- France announced on 24 August 2026 that three Saudi-funded theme parks will be built near Paris, with one expected to carry a manga theme.
- The French president said the project will create 22,000 jobs and attract six billion in Saudi investment.
- The announcement coincides with broader Saudi-French economic engagement, though locations, timelines, and remaining park themes have not yet been disclosed.
France has announced a deal with Saudi Arabia to build three theme parks near Paris, in what the French president described as an unprecedented leisure investment on a scale not seen since the arrival of Disneyland. The announcement was made on Monday, 24 August 2026.
Scale of investment
The French president stated that the project would generate 22,000 jobs and draw six billion in Saudi investment. No further details were given regarding the precise locations of the parks or a projected opening timeline.
Manga among the themes
One of the three parks is expected to be themed around manga, though the source indicated this remains at the projected stage rather than confirmed. The themes for the remaining two parks were not disclosed.
Broader Saudi-French ties
The agreement forms part of a broader deepening of economic ties between Paris and Riyadh. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been in Paris to sign a series of deals amid ongoing Middle East tensions, underscoring the strategic dimension of the investment beyond leisure and tourism alone.
If realised at the scale outlined, the project would represent one of the most significant injections of foreign capital into French tourism infrastructure in decades, though key operational details remain to be confirmed.
