Saudi Arabia signs US7b deal with France for three Paris theme parks, one manga-themed

PARIS, Aug 25 - France and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding on August 25th for a six-billion-euro ($7-billion) investment to build three theme parks near Paris, one of which is expected to be manga-themed, according to the office of French President Emmanuel Macron. The deal was signed during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's two-day visit to France.

The parks will be constructed near Cergy-Pontoise, approximately 30 kilometers northwest of Paris, by Qiddiya, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. The project is expected to create 22,000 direct jobs, comparable to the 20,000 jobs generated by Disneyland Paris. The manga-themed park is one of three, with the other two themes yet to be announced.

Construction is projected to take several years, with no specific opening date provided. The visit, while rare for the crown prince, comes amid criticism in France over the Saudi Arabian government's human rights record, particularly following the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.