A Dragon in the desert
Another major theme park coming to Saudi Arabia
Dragons seem to be having a moment. How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk will be one of the five lands at Universal Epic Universe, which is set to open next year in Orlando. Now comes word that Dragon Ball, an entire theme park featuring the mighty creature, is under development at the Qiddiya City giga-project taking shape in Saudi Arabia.
Based on a Japanese manga, anime TV series, and line of video games, the 120-acre park will include seven lands and offer more than 30 attractions, according to the Saudi-based Qiddiya Investment Company. At the center of Dragon Ball will be one of what the company says will be five “groundbreaking attractions,” a roller coaster housed inside a 230-foot tall Shenron, the franchise’s namesake dragon.
I can’t say that I am I am familiar with Dragon Ball. (Then again, I’m an old fart.) But the franchise is popular around the world. Still, it is intriguing that an entire, major theme park will be devoted to one IP. It wasn’t too long ago that creating a land within a theme park around a single IP–and of course, I am referring to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure–was considered groundbreaking. Now it’s become de rigueur.
Dragon Ball traces the journey of Goku, a monkey-tailed boy and budding martial artist, on his quest for the seven namesake orbs. When gathered together, the magical spheres morph into Shenron, a mighty dragon that can grant wishes. In addition to the Shenron coaster, the park will bring places from the franchise to life such as Capsule Corporation, Kame House, and Beerus’ Planet. Plans call for multiple Dragon Ball-themed hotels as well.
Falcon’s Creative Group is the master planner and attraction designer for the park.
“It has been a true source of pride for our company to serve as a lead creative consultant for the Dragon Ball theme park,” said Cecil D. Magpuri, CEO of Falcon’s Beyond. “Qiddiya Investment Company, Toei Animation, and our team hold a shared vision to reimagine the world of entertainment and delight consumers in new, innovative ways. This theme park will do just that.”
What is also intriguing about the project is that it would be the second announced theme park at Qiddiya. The first one, Six Flags Qiddiya, is under construction. Disney World, the planet’s most popular theme park resort, started with the Magic Kingdom and waited 11 years to open its second park, EPCOT. Granted, there has been no announced groundbreaking date or projected opening date for Dragon Ball, but it seems more than a bit aggressive to be tackling two large-scale theme parks at once–especially when one of them will be the first devoted to an untested IP.
Then again, much of Qiddiya is thought-provoking. At an announced 128 square miles, the complex will be about three times the size of Disney World. Qiddiya Water Theme Park is also under construction and, along with Six Flags, will likely open over the next year or so. According to its developers, plans call for a total of–wait for it–12 theme parks. Other components will include a racetrack, a sports stadium, golf courses, hotels, retail shops, dining, and a city core with housing as well as commercial and industrial space.
As with similar projects in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Qiddiya is part of a strategy to diversify the Middle East’s oil-based economies and embrace tourism. Qiddiya alone sounds almost preposterous in scale and scope. But it’s only one of many gargantuan projects that fall under the Vision 2030 umbrella, a wildly ambitious initiative to transform the Kingdom and its standing in the world.
Until 2019, Saudi Arabia did not even allow international tourists. While the Kingdom has recently made some concessions to modernity, including some women’s rights reforms, concerns over human rights continue to compromise its image. With that in mind, would many folks from across the globe make the trek to Qiddiya and the other Saudi mega-destinations under development? I don’t know. But maybe the Saudis could gather the seven dragon balls and ask Shenron to grant them a wish to attract visitors.
Would you visit Dragon Ball theme park and Qiddiya? Are you familiar with the franchise? What do you think about the Kingdom rolling out its welcome mat to the world?