بعد 35 عامًا من الإغلاق.. زيارة ولي العهد تعيد «ميرابوليس» للحياة بمشروع «دراغون بول» سعودي

The French press highlighted unconventional aspects of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman's visit to France, starting with his attendance at the closing ceremony of the World Cup for Electronic Sports at the (Grand Palais), and culminating in a massive Saudi project that revives an area associated with the French amusement city (Mirapolis), which closed its doors 35 years ago.

The media linked the visit to the Saudi-French agreement to establish three amusement parks near Cesson-Pont-Audemer, with investments amounting to six billion euros, led by a park inspired by the world of the famous Japanese animated series (Dragon Ball), representing a new form of partnership between the two countries that transcends traditional political and economic files towards electronic sports, culture, and entertainment.

Mirapolis Comes Back to Life

The newspaper (Le Parisien) highlighted the project to revive the (Mirapolis) area, an amusement park that opened in 1987 in Courdimanche near Cesson before closing in 1991 after a short-lived experience, leaving a site that remained without a similar entertainment project for 35 years. Despite its ambition to become one of the largest French parks, it faced financial difficulties and weak attendance, leaving its memory alive among the local residents and former visitors.

Prior to the visit, the French press followed the negotiations related to the new Saudi project, linking the former (Mirapolis) site with the anticipated parks, before the announcement during the visit of the agreement to establish three parks in the area, while details regarding the distribution of spaces are still being determined.

Massive Investment and Wide Opportunities

Saudi Arabia and France announced the agreement to establish three amusement parks northwest of Paris with investments approaching six billion euros, with expectations of creating around 22,000 jobs. The (Qiddiya Investment Company) is financing the project, extending its direction towards developing major destinations in entertainment, sports, and culture, amid expectations that the construction phases will take several years.

The story appeared in French coverage as a cinematic return to a site associated with an old entertainment experience, now becoming part of a global project aimed at attracting visitors and reshaping the tourism and entertainment landscape in the region.

Dragon Ball: From Interest to Investment

The choice of (Dragon Ball) was not a trivial detail; French reports indicated that the idea stemmed from a shared interest in the Japanese series between French President Emmanuel Macron and the Crown Prince, before evolving into a massive investment project. One of the three parks will be inspired by the world of the series, while the themes of the other parks have not yet been announced.

(Qiddiya Investment Company) has existing expertise in this field through the development of the first (Dragon Ball) park in Qiddiya near Riyadh, covering an area exceeding 500,000 square meters, which gives the French project a dimension that goes beyond financing towards transferring a Saudi experience in developing major entertainment destinations to Europe.

Local Anticipation for the Return of Activity

French media discussed the anticipation in the region, as the project has become a daily topic among residents who are waiting for life to return to the vicinity of the old site, expecting the parks to attract visitors from various French cities and beyond, especially those interested in the world of manga and Japanese animation. Supporters of the project also rely on its role in revitalizing the sectors of tourism, hotels, restaurants, and transportation, while details regarding the infrastructure remain pending.

A Visit Starting from eSports

The French press noted that the visit program began from the world of electronic sports, with the Crown Prince and President Macron attending the closing ceremony of the World Cup for Electronic Sports at (Grand Palais), before the official meetings began, in a scene reflecting the expanding fields of cooperation between Riyadh and Paris.

(Euronews) observed that the visit program extended from electronic sports to Middle Eastern files, while "Le Monde" focused on the leaders' attendance at the closing of the championship that lasted seven weeks with the participation of political and sports figures.

A Partnership in the Language of New Generations

The French press presented the visit from a different angle; a partnership that is not limited to agreements and political statements, but extends to a global championship for electronic games, and an entertainment project that brings "Mirapolis" back to the forefront, with an interest in manga transforming into a multi-billion euro investment.

These angles reflected the expansion of the Saudi-French partnership into new areas including culture, entertainment, and electronic sports, providing a model for international partnerships in a language that reaches a diverse audience, from decision-makers and business leaders to gaming enthusiasts and residents of a French area waiting for life to return to a site that has remained dormant for 35 years.