‘Dragon Ball’ theme park to be built in Saudi Arabia

In an exciting development for fans of Japanese pop culture and adventure seekers alike, Saudi Arabia will become home to the world’s first and only “Dragon Ball” theme park.Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya Investment Company has revealed that it plans to build the world’s first Dragon Ball theme park.

The park is being developed as part of a giga-project sponsored by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), established to diversify the region’s economy away from fossil fuels. Other areas that have received significant backing from PIF include real estate, tourism, sports, and entertainment. For example, PIF owns a 6.03% stake in Japanese One Piece producer Toei Company.

The park, which spans approximately 125 acres — about the size of Vatican City — will showcase a striking 229-foot dragon modeled after Shenron, the wish-granting dragon from the series. Visitors can look forward to more than 30 rides, alongside hotels and culinary options, all inspired by the manga series.

First serialised in 1984, “Dragon Ball” is one of the best-selling manga franchises of all time and has spawned countless anime series, films and video games.

On March 1, Toriyama’s death (the author of “Dragon Ball”last month from a blood clot on the brain sparked an outpouring of grief from around the world, including tributes from French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin.The announcement of the Dragon Ball park comes just weeks after his death.

The statement said the attraction would be split into seven themed zones based on the magical dragon-containing balls that are central to the series.

The park will have at least 30 rides and include a 70-metre (230-foot) dragon at the centre of the site, it said.

The Qiddiya “entertainment city” project, featuring high-end theme parks, motorsport facilities and a safari area, is under construction near the Saudi capital Riyadh.