Some of our favorite childhood stories have theme parks. While most of them still come from the House of Mouse, the one we’re discussing today comes from the pen of Akira Toriyama.
Yes, that’s right: following the passing of the legendary Akira Toriyama, the creator of one of the world’s most famous manga, Dragon Ball, a theme park has been unveiled in Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya Entertainment Project near Riyadh. Here’s what you need to know about the announced tourism destination.
As per the official announcement, followed by a really nice-looking trailer, Saudi Arabia is going to become home to the world’s first Dragon Ball theme park. The park, inspired by Toriyama’s iconic manga series featuring Son Goku’s quest for the fabled Dragon Balls, aims to cater to both the franchise’s established and massive fandom as well as a growing fanbase in Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab world. This 5.3 million square foot entertainment location is announced as part of the kingdom’s massive QiddIya Project — marketed as the largest tourism destination worldwide.
The kingdom’s latest addition to an already massive project is supposed to feature seven different areas — since there are seven Dragon Balls — recreating various locations from the original Japanese anime television series. If the trailer is to be believed, those areas might include Korin Tower, the Lookout, Capsule Corp. ( where Bulma and Vegeta live), and the Turtle Hermit’s (Master Roshi) Kame House. However, the most interesting bit is the centerpiece: a 230-foot-high statue of Shenron, the legendary wish-granting dragon that’s summoned by all seven Dragon Balls.
The park will also feature more than 30 themed rides. This includes five cutting-edge rides, one of which is basically embedded in the giant statue of Shenron himself. The plans for building this theme park are the result of Saudi Arabia’s collaboration with Toei Animation and the country’s push towards entering the video game and anime market as a means of diversifying its economy. In fact, Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the third-largest shareholder of Nintendo, while MiSK, a foundation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is also pushing to create anime movies.
Qiddiya itself is a planned multibillion-dollar entertainment game city located on a massive plot of desert, some 30 miles outside of the kingdom’s capital, Riyadh. Its designers and planners state that the city will be more than 140 square miles in size, with over 400 specific attractions, including golf courses, theme parks (such as the previously announced Dragon Ball project) and various hotels. The plan also outlines amusement pieces by Six Flags, and a water park. The main plan for the city is to become home to some 600,000 residents and a host to millions of visitors annually.
However, not everything is great when it comes to this particular project and the Dragon Ball theme park. Most of the fandom has welcomed the plans for the theme park, but others have questioned Toei’s decision on social media to build the attraction in Saudi Arabia. Some of the fans openly criticized the decision over the kingdom’s violation of human rights, treatment of women, and the lack of recognition of LGBTQ rights. In fact, homosexuality and transgender status in the kingdom are seen as immoral and indecent and may even result in capital punishment.
That notwithstanding, building a massive Dragon Ball theme park is good business— especially now when the franchise is at its peak — and a great homage to one of the greatest mangaka that has ever lived. In fact, nearly everyone in the entertainment industry paid tribute to the Dragon Ball creator, including Eiichiro Oda (One Piece), Tite Kubo (Bleach), Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia), and countless colleagues and fans across the world. Many of these folks have also decorated vertical surfaces with Dragon Ball tribute murals.
The world became a slightly emptier and less cheerful place on March 8, 2024, when Bird Studio announced the death of Akira Toriyama. Toriyama, one of the most influential artists of our age, died of acute subdural hematoma on March 1, and the funeral was held privately with only his family in attendance. As a result of Toriyama’s passing, many were wondering about the fate of his other projects, most notably Sand Land, Dragon Ball Super, and the upcoming Dragon Ball DAIMA, but it was later revealed that Toriyama’s work would be continued by his chosen successor, Toyotarou.
Dragon Ball, initially serialized in 1984, remains a global phenomenon, credited with popularizing manga and anime worldwide, and maintains a dedicated following through its anime adaptations. Since its inception, it has birthed countless works of fan fiction, a spin-off, and nearly 80 video games for home consoles and handhelds alone — not counting the arcade games and mobile games. To be entirely honest, given the franchise’s massive success and its popularity among the youth, it’s actually quite surprising that no one had built the Dragon Ball theme park before.