Toei Animation, the company behind the famous Dragon Ball universe, has announced that Saudi Arabia will be building the world’s first theme park centred around the beloved spike haired Goku and his adventures.
The Dragon Ball theme park will cover over 500,000 square metres and feature 7 different areas that recreate various iconic places from the original series, such as Kame House, Capsule Corporation,and Beerus’s Planet. Visitors will also be able to join an adventure with Goku and pals as they enjoy the world of Dragon Ball, from the very beginning of the anime all the way up through Dragon Ball Super.
This theme park will feature 5 state-of-the-art rides as part of a lineup of more than 30 attractions, including a 70-metre high Shenron containing a large-scale roller coaster inside. In addition, there will be fully stocked hotels and restaurants available to enable fans to immerse themselves in the world of Dragon Ball for an entire day of fun.
Dragon Ball was first launched as a manga series in 1984, written by Akira Toriyama, who has just passed away on 1 March. Over the years, the successful series was adapted into two anime series, over 20 animated feature films, sequels, midquels and numerous videogames. The Dragon Ball universe eventually turned into an international media franchise, selling collectable trading cards, action figures and even soundtracks, besides continuously producing further series and films.
“I was deeply impressed by the vision of bringing the people of Saudi Arabia cutting-edge, challenging entertainment that is completely different from anything they have experienced before”, said Toei Animation President Takagi Katsuhiro.
The Park will be part of the Qiddiya Investment Company’s project near Riyadh, one of the mega projects that are being built to transform the Saudi capital. Launched in 2018, Qiddiya is a global entertainment, sports and culture hub in the making. With construction having begun in 2019, it will offer international sports arenas, concert and entertainment venues, academies for sports and arts, racetracks, outdoor and adventure activities and family-friendly theme parks – including a Six Flags park with the world’s longest, tallest and fastest coaster.
The 367 km² site will have 5 key areas: the resort core, home to Qiddiya’s theme parks, entertainment and dining attractions; the Qiddiya Village, a 24/7 mixed-use centre dedicated to entertainment and sports; the motion zone, home to adrenaline fuelled motorsports experiences; the eco zone, a world of nature and wildlife adventures and encounters; and the golf and residential community, a community featuring golf courses and residential offerings.
