France and Saudi Arabia have finalized a landmark agreement to construct a six-billion-euro (approximately $7 billion) amusement park near Paris, marking a significant expansion of cooperation between the two nations. The agreement, announced on Monday following a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Elysee Palace, details plans for a complex entertainment destination. The project encompasses the construction of three distinct theme parks, with one slated to be themed around manga, offering a unique and popular attraction. The park, situated near Cergy-Pontoise, a region approximately 30 kilometers northwest of Paris, is projected to create a workforce of roughly 22,000 individuals and will be spearheaded by Qiddiya, an investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Al-Khazmi Investment Company.
The agreement, a culmination of discussions initiated in December 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, where Prince Mohammed and Macron explored shared passions for manga and Dragon Ball Z, underscores a strategic alliance focused on bolstering economic and defense ties. Macron emphasized the project’s potential to establish a ‘new global destination’ on the scale of Disneyland Paris, highlighting the significant investment and ambition behind the endeavor. The agreement also encompasses a range of other significant deals, including the signing of contracts with French companies for energy, artificial intelligence, aviation financing, transport, and healthcare. Specifically, Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith reported that the Saudi Arabian defense market represents a substantial opportunity for French defense manufacturers, with Saudi Arabia seeking to expand its strategic partnerships beyond traditional alliances.
Macron lauded the project as ‘extraordinary’ and asserted it would create a ‘new global destination’ comparable in scale to Disneyland Paris. He thanked Qiddiya and Saudi Arabia for their ‘trust’ in French talent, framing the investment as a win for his ‘Choose France’ initiative aimed at attracting foreign capital and bolstering the French economy. The agreement’s scope extends beyond entertainment, with the signing of two additional contracts with French companies: one for the CMA CGM to develop Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Islamic Port on the Red Sea (worth $434 million) and another with Alstom to supply metro carriages for Riyadh’s metro (worth $580 million). The visit marks MBS’s third official trip to France, coinciding with Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of security partnerships beyond its existing commitments, including a trilateral agreement with Turkey and Pakistan. The joint statement issued by the two countries addressed concerns regarding the conflict between the United States and Iran, demanding a return to normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. They also welcomed the US-brokered agreement on Hamas’s disarmament, emphasizing support for Palestinian statehood and a ceasefire in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. The agreement also condemned attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on Saudi Arabia and on commercial shipping, and expressed support for Syria’s stability and recovery. The document demonstrates a commitment to strengthening diplomatic relations and aligning geopolitical interests across multiple regions.”
Source: Al Jazeera
