France, Saudi Arabia agree on $7bn theme park project near Paris

The taxable parkland task is among a raft of deals spanning energy, defence, AI and tourism signed during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s sojourn to Paris.

France and Saudi Arabia person announced plans for a six-billion-euro ($7bn) amusement parkland adjacent Paris, pursuing talks betwixt French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman astatine the Elysee Palace.

The statement was among a raft of deals signed connected Monday arsenic Macron and Prince Mohammed, who is besides known arsenic MBS, question to boost economical and defence ties betwixt their 2 countries.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3French President Macron to big Saudi Crown Prince MBS successful Paris for talks
• list 2 of 3Saudi Arabia’s MBS visits Macron successful France: What to expect
• list 3 of 3Israel, Turkiye and the post-Abrahamic Middle East

Macron’s bureau said the amusement parkland task volition spot the operation of 3 taxable parks, 1 of which is expected to beryllium manga-themed, adjacent Cergy-Pontoise, astir 30km northwest of Paris. The project is expected to make astir 22,000 jobs and volition beryllium led by Qiddiya, an concern limb of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealthiness fund.
Macron called the task “extraordinary” and said it would make a “new planetary destination” connected the standard of Disneyland Paris. He thanked Qiddiya and Saudi Arabia for their “trust” successful French talent, framing the concern arsenic a triumph for his “Choose France” thrust to pull job-creating overseas capital.”We’re not done astonishing the world. Very arrogant of this achievement,” helium added.

The task stemmed from a treatment betwixt Macron and MBS successful December 2024 successful Riyadh, wherever they discovered their “shared passion” for manga, “and successful peculiar Dragon Ball Z”, an advisor to the French president told reporters.
The different agreements, signed successful a ceremonial attended by Macron and MBS, span energy, artificial intelligence, aviation financing, transport and health.
Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith, reporting from Paris, said determination was besides “a missive of intent signed, reinforcing practice connected defence – an speech of expertise connected cybersecurity, AI grooming and subject training”.

The Saudi Arabian defence marketplace is simply a important marketplace for French defence manufacturers, arsenic Saudi Arabia looks for caller strategical partners,” helium said. “The French authorities wants to marque definite it inactive has a manus in, is inactive moving with Saudi Arabia connected the country’s defence.”

The French presidency said 2 different contracts were signed with French companies during the Saudi crown prince’s visit: 1 for the marine logistics institution CMA CGM to assistance make Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Islamic Port connected the Red Sea, for $434m; and the different with obstruction transport radical Alstom to proviso metro carriages for Riyadh’s metro, for $580m.

The sojourn marks MBS’s 3rd authoritative travel to France and comes arsenic Saudi Arabia pursues information ties beyond its accepted partnerships. It was besides the Saudi crown prince’s archetypal travel overseas since signing the trilateral Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Turkiye and Pakistan earlier this month.

Beyond the economical and defence agenda, Macron and MBS besides issued a associated connection addressing respective determination flashpoints.

The 2 sides called for a negotiated extremity to the struggle betwixt the United States and Iran and demanded a instrumentality to mean shipping done the Strait of Hormuz. They besides welcomed the US-brokered statement connected Hamas’s disarmament portion pressing for a sustainable ceasefire successful Israel’s genocidal warfare connected Gaza. They affirmed enactment for Palestinian statehood and called for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory.They went connected to condemn attacks by Yemen’s Houthis connected Saudi Arabia arsenic good arsenic connected commercialized shipping. The 2 men besides voiced enactment for Syria’s stableness and recovery.