If you can get your head around this one, French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman apparently share a love of Japanese ‘manga’ comics so strong that they joined forces to announce that Saudi investors will spend €5 billion to build a manga-themed amusement park near Paris.
Initial plans, funded by Saudi company Qiddiya, include three major entertainment areas, hotels and leisure facilities, projected to create 22,000 jobs.
Macron told reporters that “Nothing like this has been seen since Disneyland Paris. A new global destination. Here, in France. Thank you to Qiddiya and Saudi Arabia for their trust in our country, in our talents, and in our future.”
According to BBC News, the plan grew out of a conversation between Macron and bin Salman on a previous state visit in which they discovered their mutual love of the Dragon Ball Z series of comics. Qiddiya is also building a Dragon Ball Z theme park near the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
