The world’s first amusement park inspired by the world of the famous Japanese manga and animated series Dragon Ball must be built in a future city in Saudi Arabia dedicated to leisure, the promoter of this colossal project announced on Friday. The opening date of this 500,000 m2 park has not been specified, nor its cost, as is generally the case for tourist megaprojects in the Saudi kingdom.
Located in Qiddiya, near the capital Riyadh, the park would include seven different areas from the Dragon Ball universe, around thirty attractions as well as hotels and restaurants, according to a press release from Qiddiya Investment Company, also published by the studio Japanese Toei Animation, producer of the franchise’s cartoons. The death on March 1 of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama at the age of 68 caused a wave of global emotion, reflecting the immense popularity still intact of his work.
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First published in 1984, Dragon Ball is one of the best-selling manga of all time and has spawned countless anime series, films, and video games. It tells the adventures of Son Goku, a young martial arts prodigy in search of seven crystal balls to help him and his allies protect the Earth from evil enemies. Qiddiya is one of the pharaonic projects of Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” program to develop the tourism industry on its territory and reduce the great dependence of its economy on hydrocarbons. The new city will eventually accommodate several theme parks, sports facilities and cultural venues. The city’s construction work began in 2019 but its completion date is not known.