Saudi Arabia has announced that it will build a theme park based on the popular Japanese animated series Dragon Ball, drawing mixed reactions from fans of the series.
The company behind the theme park says that a 70-meter long dragon will be built in the middle of the park and will have at least 30 swings.
It will be the world’s first theme park based on the animated series Dragon Ball.
However, the announcement has been criticized by some quarters citing Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
According to Qaida Investment Company (QIC), which is working on the project, the park will cover an area of more than five lakh square meters, which is fully owned by the Saudi government’s investment fund.
It is part of a ‘long-term strategic partnership’ between Park Kadiya Investment Company and Toei Animation, the Japanese company behind Dragon Ball.
According to Dragon Ball’s official website, the park will also include a roller coaster ride inside a model of a dragon modeled after a dragon named Shenron. In the animated series, a dragon named Shenzon is a wish-granting dragon.
Qadiriyya is a major entertainment and tourism project in Saudi Arabia that is being built near Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. It is part of the energy-rich country’s plans to diversify its economy from sources other than oil.
While some Dragon Ball fans have welcomed the theme park project, others on social media have questioned the decision to build the attraction in Saudi Arabia.
The human rights situation in Saudi Arabia has also been criticized for not recognizing the rights of homosexuals in particular.
The announcement of the theme park’s construction comes just weeks after the death of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama.
Toriyama died on March 1 at the age of 68. According to a statement on the Dragon Ball website, only his family and very few friends attended his funeral.
Fans around the world have paid tribute to Toriyama for creating characters that have become a part of their lives.
The Dragon Ball comic series started in 1984. It’s the story of a boy named Son Goku who sets out on a quest to collect the magical Dragon Balls because they can give him superpowers.
It is one of the most influential and best-selling Japanese comics of all time.
