Dragon Ball: a theme park inspired by Toriyama's universe is coming soon!

Steph Deschamps / March 23,

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

The planned opening date of this 500,000 m2 theme park was not specified, nor was its cost, as is usually the case for the Saudi kingdom's tourism megaprojects.

Located in Qiddiya, near the capital Riyadh, the park will feature seven different zones from the Dragon Ball universe, around 30 attractions as well as hotels and restaurants, according to a press release from Qiddiya Investment Company, also issued by Japanese studio Toei Animation, producer of the franchise's cartoons.

The death of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama on March 1 at the age of 68 provoked a worldwide wave of emotion, reflecting the immense popularity of his work.

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

The new town of Qiddiya is one of the pharaonic projects in Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" program, designed to develop the country's tourism industry and reduce its economy's heavy dependence on hydrocarbons.

Qiddiya will eventually house several theme parks, sports facilities and cultural venues. Construction of the city began in 2019, but its completion date is not known.