Mohammed bin Salman's visit to France, which coincided with the first meeting of the French-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council on Monday, August 24, was marked by a series of commercial announcements and diplomatic considerations.
The war in Iran and the intense economic pressure the US intends to exert on Tehran, even at the risk of prolonging the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, faded into the background during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to Paris on Monday, August 24. They were overshadowed by what the Elysée described as a "colossal" project, as an agreement was announced to create a theme park dedicated to the world of Dragon Ball, the iconic Japanese manga from the 1980s, to be built in Cergy-Pontoise, west of Paris. "Nothing like this has happened since Disneyland Paris," Emmanuel Macron declared on X, citing an investment of €6 billion and the eventual creation of 22,000 jobs for a project whose timeline remains unknown and which includes two other theme parks, though no details were provided about them.
The two leaders reportedly discovered a shared passion for Akira Toriyama's manga during the French president's visit to Riyadh in December 2024, according to an Elysée adviser. The project, led by the Saudi group Qiddiya, will occupy the site of the former Mirapolis park, which closed 35 years ago.
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