A huge theme park dedicated to “Dragon Ball” will be built in Saudi Arabia.
The move combines one of Japan’s most cherished cultural exports with Saudi Arabia’s preference for a flashy tourism and entertainment powerhouse.
The owners of the Dragon Ball franchise announced on Friday that Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya Investment Company will begin construction of the global theme park dedicated to “Dragon Ball,” the popular manga series.
Here’s a video of the project:
The park will be built on 500,000 square meters and will feature a 229-foot dragon, rides and other attractions from the manga series, the franchise said in a statement.
He did give a final touch-off date.
“Dragon Ball” is one of the top manga series globally and follows the adventures of Goku, a tailed creature who learns martial arts and seeks to download magical balls that can grant wishes.
There are several TV series, PC games, action figures, and several other spin-offs, making it one of the highest-grossing media franchises in the world.
The new park is expected to be built in the city of Qiddiya, a planned entertainment district on the outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The announcement is part of Saudi leader Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to diversify the Saudi economy away from dependence on fossil fuels. As part of its Vision 2030 project, the kingdom seeks to become a destination for gaming, tourism, innovation and sports.
Many Dragon Ball enthusiasts posted on X were greeted with disappointment by the park’s planned location, bringing up Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
Dragon Ball Theme Park Saudi Arabia https://t. co/u0KvlMCjqP pic. twitter. com/YQyKgF7FJl
On a subreddit of a “Dragon Ball” fan, the news was greeted with comments like, “I wouldn’t give my money to the Saudis. “
“What an exciting announcement. . . until you read where it will take place,” he posted.
Saudi Arabia is governed by ultra-conservative Islamic laws, in which women have few rights and homosexuality is illegal, Crown Prince Mohammed has sought to liberalize the kingdom’s image.
The NGO Human Rights Watch accuses Saudi Arabia of its massive investments in sports and entertainment to “hijack” those realities.
Saudi Arabia has been criticized for the brutal killing of dissident Jamal Khashoggi, who the U. S. says was killed by officials at a Saudi consulate in Turkey in 2018, and for the persecution of his critics, both domestic and foreign.
Business Insider reported last year that Saudi Arabia had handed down a 30-year sentence to a critic of the megacity Neom, the centerpiece of the Vision 2030 project.
News of the theme park came just weeks after the death of “Dragon Ball” author Akira Toriyama, who passed away on March 8 at the age of 68.
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