Saudi Arabia and French Government Sign MoU

(eap) The Saudi Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) and the French government intend to jointly explore the development of a large-scale entertainment destination in France. To this end, both parties signed a corresponding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday in Paris during an official visit to France by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman.

The scale of the potential development is considerable: According to the Élysée Palace, plans call for three theme parks representing an investment of six billion euros and the creation of 22,000 jobs. French President Emmanuel Macron described the project as a “new global destination” and said its scale would be unprecedented since Disneyland Paris. No further official details on the individual parks have been announced to date.

QIC itself describes the project in broader terms as an “entertainment-led, mixed-use destination”. According to the company, the signing marks the start of a joint working phase. During this phase, the parties intend to define the scope and content of the project, the development model and the contractual framework. The development is expected to build on the experience, expertise and partnerships that QIC is currently developing, particularly through its major Saudi project Qiddiya City (cf. EAP 2/2026 and 4/2026). At the same time, the company views the planned development as part of its international expansion and as an opportunity to bring its “Power of Play” philosophy to additional markets. This approach regards play, sports, leisure and entertainment as important factors for well-being, creativity, personal development and social connections.

The site of the former Mirapolis theme park in Cergy-Pontoise, in the Val-d’Oise department northwest of Paris, has emerged as a potential location for the mixed-use destination. The site has lain derelict for more than 30 years. According to the Communauté d’Agglomération de Cergy-Pontoise, the area was among several locations previously identified and attracted particular interest from QIC following a selection process. However, the local authority underlines that the project, at this stage, merely could be located there. At the same time, Cergy-Pontoise sees the project as an opportunity for economic development, job creation and greater tourism appeal in the region. Its realization would require, among other things, improvements to the site’s road and public transport connections, according to the authority.

For several weeks, various media outlets have been reporting that a theme park based on the Japanese manga and anime brand “Dragon Ball” could be developed on the former Mirapolis site. In one of his social media posts about the three planned theme parks, Macron referred to his fondness for manga.

Several years ago, a large-scale leisure complex called “EuropaCity” had been planned northeast of Paris as a joint project involving the French government, the Auchan Group and the Chinese Wanda Group. However, the project was halted in 2019. ■