Saudi investors have proposed a €1 billion [1] project to transform the former Mirapolis amusement park site into a new, larger theme park.
The redevelopment aims to revive a derelict area of the Val-d’Oise department. If realized, the project would bring significant capital and tourism to a region that has seen the site sit abandoned for decades.
The proposed development is located approximately three km from the commune of Courdimanche [1]. The nearby town, which has a population of 7,000 inhabitants [2], has welcomed the proposal to revitalize the land.
The history of the site is marked by a brief and unsuccessful first attempt at entertainment. The original Mirapolis park opened in 1987 [3] but closed in 1991 [4]. This initial venture lasted only four years [4] before the site fell into disrepair.
An unspecified Saudi investment group is driving the current proposal. The group seeks to capitalize on the location by building a facility that exceeds the scale of the previous park. The project intends to replace the ruins of the 1980s era park with a modern destination.
Local officials in Val-d’Oise are reviewing the plans for the €1 billion [1] investment. The transition from a derelict wasteland to a major tourist hub would represent a significant shift in land use for the area surrounding Courdimanche.
“Saudi investors have proposed a €1 billion project to transform the former Mirapolis amusement park site”
The proposal signals a renewed interest in large-scale tourism infrastructure in regional France, backed by Gulf capital. By targeting a site with a known history of failure, the investors are betting that modern demand and a larger scale can overcome the geographical or economic hurdles that shuttered Mirapolis in 1991.
