France and Saudi Arabia agree to manga theme park


  1. Do you know what manga is? How would you describe it?
  2. Have you ever watched Japanese anime?
  3. Which Japanese series or characters do you know?
  4. Why do you think Japanese entertainment has become so popular internationally?
  5. Would you visit a theme park based on a manga or anime series? Why / why not?
  6. What makes a theme park exciting rather than boring?

Rank these

Put them from 1 = most interesting to 7 = least interesting.

  • Dragon Ball
  • One Piece
  • Naruto
  • Demon Slayer
  • Attack on Titan
  • My Hero Academia
  • Jujutsu Kaisen

Compare your rankings with your partner.

2. READING

A Dragon Ball Z Theme Park Near Paris

Millions of people around the world enjoy Japanese manga and anime. Popular series such as One Piece, Naruto, and Dragon Ball have millions of fans in many countries. Now, this global popularity is leading to a new theme park.

Saudi Arabia and France are planning an attraction based on the series Dragon Ball Z. It will be built near Paris and will cost around $7 billion. It will take several years to build and will be one of Europe's largest amusement parks.

The idea for the park began after Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met France's President Emmanuel Macron in Saudi Arabia in 2024. They discovered that they both had a passion for manga and liked Dragon Ball Z.

The project could benefit the economies of both countries. It is expected to create around 22,000 jobs in France. It will also help Saudi Arabia move away from its reliance on oil.

As part of its plan to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, Saudi Arabia has been investing in tourism, entertainment, sports and other industries. President Macron said the park would be "a new global destination". A spokesperson for the French government described it as a project on the scale of Disneyland.

The park is also expected to focus on environmental issues. Reports say the development could include 50,000 square metres of green spaces dedicated to biodiversity.

3. VOCABULARY — MATCH THE WORDS

Part A — Match the words with their definitions.

WordDefinition
1. seriesa. A place people visit because it is interesting or enjoyable
2. fansb. A very strong feeling of interest or enthusiasm
3. popularityc. More than two but not many
4. attractiond. People who strongly like or support something
5. based one. How much people like or enjoy something
6. severalf. A group of connected films, programmes, books or stories
7. passiong. Using something as the main idea for something else

Part B — Match the words with their definitions.

WordDefinition
8. benefita. Putting money, time or resources into something
9. reduceb. The size or level of something compared with something else
10. reliancec. A place people travel to or visit
11. investingd. To make something smaller or less
12. destinatione. The state of depending on something
13. scalef. To receive a good result or advantage from something
14. biodiversityg. The variety of different plants and animals in an environment

4. VOCABULARY — SYNONYMS

Find a word or phrase from the reading that means:

  1. like → __________
  2. supporters → __________
  3. worldwide → __________
  4. construct → __________
  5. found out → __________
  6. help → __________
  7. dependence → __________
  8. putting money into → __________
  9. size → __________
  10. place to visit → __________

Then choose three words and make your own sentences.

5. TRUE OR FALSE?

Read the article again. Decide whether the statements are True (T) or False (F).

  1. Manga and anime are popular in many countries.
    T / F
  2. The new theme park will be built in Saudi Arabia.
    T / F
  3. The park will cost approximately $7 billion.
    T / F
  4. The park will be built near Paris.
    T / F
  5. The French and Saudi leaders discovered that they both liked manga.
    T / F
  6. The project is expected to create 22,000 jobs in France.
    T / F
  7. Saudi Arabia wants to become more dependent on oil.
    T / F
  8. The park is expected to include green spaces.
    T / F
  9. The French government compared the project with Disneyland.
    T / F
  10. The green spaces will be used partly to support biodiversity.
    T / F

6. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Answer in complete sentences.

  1. What types of Japanese entertainment are mentioned in the article?
  2. Name three popular series mentioned in the article.
  3. Where will the Dragon Ball Z theme park be built?
  4. Approximately how much will the project cost?
  5. How long will the construction take?
  6. Which two political leaders helped inspire the project?
  7. What do the two leaders have in common?
  8. How many jobs could the project create in France?
  9. What does Saudi Arabia want to reduce its reliance on?
  10. Which industries is Saudi Arabia investing in?
  11. How did President Macron describe the park?
  12. What will the green spaces be dedicated to?

7. THINKING & DISCUSSION

Discuss with your partner.

The business side

  1. Why would Saudi Arabia want to invest billions of dollars in a theme park in France?
  2. How could the project benefit France?
  3. How could it benefit Saudi Arabia?
  4. Do you think $7 billion is a reasonable amount to spend on a theme park?
  5. What could go wrong with a project this large?
  6. Could the park become a major tourist destination?

The environmental side

  1. Can a huge theme park really be environmentally friendly?
  2. Is creating 50,000 square metres of green space enough?
  3. What could a "green" theme park do differently?
  4. Should large tourism projects be required to protect biodiversity?

8. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Imagine you are responsible for designing the new park.

You have a budget of $7 billion.

Choose five attractions:

  • A giant Shenron roller coaster
  • A Dragon Ball Z fighting arena
  • A virtual reality Saiyan training centre
  • A Dragon Ball museum
  • A manga shopping district
  • Japanese restaurants
  • A giant indoor water park
  • A futuristic hotel
  • A live anime theatre
  • A children's area
  • A huge botanical garden
  • A Formula 1-style racing attraction

Explain your choices.

You must convince your partner that your five attractions are the best.

9. DESIGN YOUR OWN THEME PARK

Work with your partner.

You are going to create a new theme park based on any film, TV series, sport, game, book or cultural phenomenon.

Complete:

Name: __________________________

Location: _______________________

Theme: __________________________

Main attraction: _________________

Three other attractions:

Food: ___________________________

Accommodation: __________________

Environmental feature: ____________

Now pitch your park

You have 60 seconds to convince investors to give you money.

You should explain:

  • Why people would visit
  • Who your target customers are
  • What makes your park different
  • How it would make money
  • Why investors should choose you

10. ROLE PLAY — INVESTMENT MEETING

Role A — Saudi Investor

You want the park to attract international tourists and generate money. You are worried about the enormous cost.

Ask:

  • How will we make our money back?
  • Who will visit?
  • How much will tickets cost?
  • How many tourists can we expect?

Role B — French Government Official

You support the project because it could create jobs and attract tourists.

Argue that:

  • France needs investment
  • The project will create employment
  • Paris is already a major tourist destination
  • The park could become internationally famous

Role C — Environmental Activist

You are worried about the environmental impact.

You want:

  • More green spaces
  • Protection of wildlife
  • Renewable energy
  • Limits on construction
  • Sustainable transport

Role D — Dragon Ball Fan

You absolutely love the idea.

You want:

  • Huge Dragon Ball attractions
  • Character experiences
  • Roller coasters
  • Restaurants
  • Shops
  • Interactive experiences

Hold a meeting and decide whether the project should go ahead.

11. LANGUAGE FOCUS — “RELY ON” / “RELIANCE ON”

Complete the sentences.

  1. Saudi Arabia wants to reduce its reliance _____ oil.
  2. Many countries rely _____ tourism.
  3. The company has become too reliant _____ one customer.
  4. We shouldn't rely _____ technology for everything.
  5. The economy's reliance _____ fossil fuels is a major issue.

Now discuss:

What things do modern societies rely on too much?

  • oil
  • technology
  • cars
  • social media
  • tourism
  • artificial intelligence
  • international trade

12. LISTENING — CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER

Listen to the teacher reading the article. Choose a, b, c or d.

1.

Popular series such as One Piece, Naruto and Dragon Ball have fans...

a. in any countries
b. in money countries
c. in many country
d. in many countries

2.

Saudi Arabia and France are planning an attraction based...

a. on the series
b. on the serious
c. on the services
d. on the cereal

3.

The park will cost...

a. around $7 billion
b. about $7 million
c. around $7 trillion
d. exactly $7 billion

4.

It will be one of Europe's largest...

a. amusement parks
b. amusing parks
c. amusement places
d. entertainment areas

5.

The leaders discovered they both had a passion...

a. for manga
b. of manga
c. about manga
d. with manga

6.

Saudi Arabia wants to move away from relying...

a. in oil
b. on oil
c. of oil
d. off oil

7.

Saudi Arabia has been investing in tourism, entertainment, sports...

a. and other industries
b. and another industries
c. and others industries
d. and the others industries

8.

The French government compared the project with...

a. Universal Studios
b. Tokyo Disneyland
c. Disneyland
d. Warner Bros.

9.

The park will also focus on...

a. green issues
b. green issue
c. green issued
d. green tissues

10.

The green spaces will be dedicated...

a. for biodiversity
b. on biodiversity
c. to biodiversity
d. at biodiversity

13. DISCUSSION — MANGA, CULTURE & GLOBALISATION

  1. Why has manga become so popular outside Japan?
  2. Why do people become emotionally attached to fictional characters?
  3. What can manga and anime offer that traditional films cannot?
  4. Why do some forms of Japanese culture become global while others don't?
  5. Is manga more popular with younger people?
  6. Can Japanese culture influence fashion, language and business?
  7. Why do people travel to theme parks based on fictional worlds?
  8. Would you travel to another country specifically to visit this park?
  9. Could a Dragon Ball park become as famous as Disneyland?
  10. What other Japanese series deserve their own theme park?

14. DEBATE

“The world needs more theme parks.”

Team A — AGREE

Prepare arguments explaining why theme parks are good for:

  • tourism
  • employment
  • local businesses
  • entertainment
  • international culture
  • the economy

Team B — DISAGREE

Prepare arguments about:

  • environmental damage
  • high prices
  • excessive consumerism
  • overcrowding
  • water and energy consumption
  • better ways to spend billions of dollars

Final challenge

Each team gets one minute to give its strongest argument.

Then answer:

Has the other team changed your opinion? Why / why not?

15. FINAL TASK — YOUR OPINION

Complete these sentences and discuss them.

I think the Dragon Ball Z theme park is a __________ idea because __________.

The biggest advantage would be __________.

The biggest disadvantage would be __________.

If I had $7 billion to invest in tourism, I would __________.

A theme park based on __________ would be more successful because __________.

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