Entertainment

Saudi Arabia to Build $7B Theme Parks Near Paris

Is the deal a masterstroke of economic diplomacy or a billion-dollar fantasy destined to collapse?

Published 4 days ago

Saudi Arabia to Build $7B Theme Parks Near Paris

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Above: Emmanuel Macron greets Mohammed bin Salman at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Aug. 24. Image credit: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

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.

Valérie Pécresse on X

Emmanuel Macron on X

Government-critical narrative

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 on hand, and would need to borrow at high interest rates for a venture with zero proven profitability. Beyond that, even signed agreements and press announcements aren't shovels in the ground.

Aakash Gupta on X

MENA Unleashed on X

Establishment-critical narrative

This development is an insult to French journalists. Saudi Arabia is yet to account for the death of Jamal Khashoggi and no amount of smart economic diplomacy can excuse doing business with. a regime that will kill in order to censor press freedom.

Syndicat National des Journalistes (SNJ) on X