This $7 billion Saudi investment in three theme parks near Paris is a massive win for France, bringing 22,000 jobs to Cergy-Pontoise. Nothing at this scale has happened since Disneyland Paris opened, and a Dragon Ball-themed park is exactly the kind of bold, ambitious project France needs. This is what smart economic diplomacy looks like.
Saudi Arabia already tried this exact play in Cergy-Pontoise — Mirapolis opened in 1987 and went bankrupt within four years. Qiddiya doesn't have 6 billion euros on hand and would need to borrow at high interest rates for a venture with zero proven profitability. Signed agreements and press announcements aren't shovels in the ground.
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