Qiddiya Investment Company announced plans to construct a theme park inspired by Japan’s beloved Dragon Ball manga franchise in Qiddiya, the kingdom’s premier luxury tourist destination located near Riyadh. Spanning an area of 500,000 square meters, the park aims to immerse fans in the exhilarating world of Dragon Ball, offering an opportunity to relive the saga from its inception to the latest installment, Dragon Ball Super.
According to Bloomberg, the park will be part of the larger Qiddiya “entertainment city” project, which is set to include premier theme parks, motorsport amenities, and a safari zone. The announcement has already had a palpable impact on the stock market, with shares in Toei Animation, the powerhouse behind the “Dragon Ball” anime, experiencing a 6.7 percent surge on Friday.
But while a theme park in a desert country may seem like an odd choice, the team behind the ambitious project is confident it will be a hit. The developers behind the park, which will be built on a site more than double the size of Florida’s Disney World, are also planning to build hotels and restaurants in the area to attract tourists worldwide.
While details about the theme park are scarce, the press release by Qiddiya and Toei Animation did confirm that the park will be spread across seven different areas that will recreate the many iconic locales from the series, including Kame House, Capsule Corporation, and Beerus’ Planet. It will feature at least 30 rides and attractions, including the signature Shenron roller coaster, built into a 70-meter-high model of the series’ eponymous character.
The world’s first Dragon Ballpark will open within the Qiddiya entertainment complex in 2024. The park will be dedicated to the legacy of its late creator, Akira Toriyama, who died on March 1 at age 68 from a brain hematoma. His death prompted outpourings of grief from millions of fans around the globe, and Qiddiya Park’s announcement is the latest event to honor his memory.
