France eyes Dragon Ball-inspired theme park deal during Saudi Crown Prince visit
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Grand Palais in Paris, on Aug 23.
PHOTO: AFP
- France aims to sign a deal for a Dragon Ball-themed amusement park backed by a Saudi investment fund during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit on Aug 24.
- The project, supported by the Ile-de-France regional government, has been in development for 18 months and is compared in scale to Disneyland.
- The signing is part of broader Saudi-French economic agreements expected during the Saudi-French strategic partnership council meeting chaired by Macron and the Crown Prince.
AI generated
PARIS - The French authorities said they hoped an agreement on a Dragon Ball-themed amusement park, backed by a Saudi investment fund and inspired by the iconic Japanese manga series, would be signed on Aug 24.
If successful, the deal would be sealed as Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is in France for a two-day visit.
Valerie Pecresse, head of the Ile-de-France greater Paris region, said the regional government had been working on the project for 18 months.
“There is a very important meeting at the Elysee today that may result in the signing of this agreement,” Pecresse told broadcaster TF1. “We are waiting for the signature.”
“It is a project on the scale of Disneyland,” she added, without disclosing the cost.
The Saudi Crown Prince and French President Emmanuel Macron were to chair on Aug 24 the first meeting of the Saudi-French strategic partnership council, and a number of agreements were expected to be signed.
According to a source familiar with the matter, a Saudi investment company is behind the Dragon Ball project, which could be located in Courdimanche, north-west of Paris.
On Aug 21, the French presidency said that “discussions are still ongoing for some projects, but there will be many, many economic agreements across different sectors signed on Monday (Aug 24)”.
On Aug 23, Macron hosted the Saudi Crown Prince at the Esports World Cup in Paris, with the Aug 24 talks expected to focus on bilateral deals and events in the Middle East. AFP