Dragon Ball comes to Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is set to construct the world's first amusement park inspired by the famous Japanese manga and anime series Dragon Ball in a future leisure city, the developer of this colossal project announced on Friday.

The opening date of the 500,000 square meter amusement park has not been specified, nor has its cost, as is typically the case for Saudi Arabia's megaprojects in tourism.

Located in Qiddiya, near the capital Riyadh, the park will feature seven different zones from the Dragon Ball universe, around thirty attractions, as well as hotels and restaurants, according to a statement from Qiddiya Investment Company, also published by the Japanese studio Toei Animation, the producer of the franchise's animated series.

First published in 1984, Dragon Ball is one of the best-selling manga of all time and has spawned numerous animated series, films, and video games.

It tells the adventures of Son Goku, a young martial arts prodigy on a quest for seven crystal balls to help him and his allies protect the Earth from evil enemies.

The new city of Qiddiya is one of the monumental projects of Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" program to develop the tourism industry in the country and reduce its heavy reliance on oil.

Qiddiya is expected to eventually host several theme parks, sports facilities, and cultural venues. The construction of the city began in 2019, but its completion date is not yet known.