Disney has announced that their 7th theme park resort is coming to Abu Dhabi. This will be the first Disneyland in the Middle East, as Disney has partnered with Miral to bring this park to life on Yas Island. There were substantial rumors in the last few days of a major announcement but I wouldn’t have predicted something so big! In this post, we’ll share the news before adding our own commentary about this brand new Disney theme park. Here’s the announcement:

The Walt Disney Company and Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, announced an agreement to create a landmark Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The waterfront resort will be located on Yas Island, a world-class destination for entertainment and leisure, connecting travelers from the Middle East and Africa, India, Asia, Europe, and beyond. This seventh Disney theme park resort will combine Disney’s iconic stories, characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culture, stunning shorelines, and breathtaking architecture. 

“Abu Dhabi is a place where heritage meets innovation, where we preserve our past while designing the future,” His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman at Miral, said. “The collaboration between Abu Dhabi and Disney demonstrates the remarkable results of combining visionary leadership and creative excellence. What we are creating with Disney in Abu Dhabi is a whole new world of imagination — an experience that will inspire generations across the region and the world, creating magical moments and memories that families will treasure forever. Through the development of unique attractions and experiences, Abu Dhabi continues to be a destination of choice for the world.” 

The new resort will be fully developed and built by Miral. Disney and its legendary Imagineers will lead creative design and operational oversight to provide a world-class experience. Miral, which has developed a number of family entertainment destinations on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in collaboration with American and European brands, will operate the resort. 

“This is a thrilling moment for our company as we announce plans to build an exciting Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, whose culture is rich with an appreciation of the arts and creativity,” said Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “As our seventh theme park destination, it will rise from this land in spectacular fashion, blending contemporary architecture with cutting-edge technology to offer guests deeply immersive entertainment experiences in unique and modern ways. Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati – an oasis of extraordinary Disney entertainment at this crossroads of the world that will bring to life our timeless characters and stories in many new ways and will become a source of joy and inspiration for the people of this vast region to enjoy for generations to come.”

The UAE is located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population, making it a significant gateway for tourism. The UAE is home to the largest global airline hub in the world, with 120 million passengers traveling through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year.  

“This groundbreaking resort destination represents a new frontier in theme park development,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences. “Our resort in Abu Dhabi will be the most advanced and interactive destination in our portfolio. The location of our park is incredibly unique – anchored by a beautiful waterfront – which will allow us to tell our stories in completely new ways. This project will reach guests in a whole new part of the world, welcoming more families to experience Disney than ever before. Ultimately, it will be a celebration of what’s possible when creativity and progress come together.” 

“Bringing a Disney theme park resort to Yas Island marks a historic milestone in our journey to further advance the island’s position as a global destination for exceptional entertainment and leisure,” said Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO, Miral. “Together, we are creating a place of boundless innovation, where the vision of our leadership continues to inspire the world.” The development of unique experiences will support sustained economic growth in Abu Dhabi and beyond.

Upon completion, the new theme park resort will offer signature Disney entertainment, themed accommodations, unique dining and retail experiences, and storytelling in a way that celebrates both the heritage of Disney and the futuristic and cultural essence of Abu Dhabi. 

Commentary

Well, hello there! As I mentioned, rumors were swirling in the last few days but I didn’t expect a new theme park. A luxury hotel with entertainment, possibly in Abu Dhabi or Dubai were on my shortlist of guesses but not a brand new theme park resort. And to clear up any confusion, this will be a brand new theme park.

While there’s a lot of word jumbles mixed in with this news, Bob Iger specifically uses the term ‘Disneyland Abu Dhabi’ and the news release brings up this being the 7th Disney theme park resort several times. Yes, theme parks get announced without coming to fruition from time to time but, for now, the plan is to fully build the next Disney park in Abu Dhabi.

Placing the next resort in the Middle East is likely a surprise to people. The burgeoning tourism and tech growth in United Arab Emirates (UAE) plays a significant role. Yas Island, where Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be located, is home to several existing theme parks (more on that below), luxury golf courses, Abu Dhabi’s biggest mall and hosts a yearly Formula One race. While placing a new Disney theme park in the Middle East may sound risky at first blush, Iger has had time to sit back and observe the success and financial investment of this area before committing.

Speaking of risky, some of that Middle East trepidation could be placed on American ignorance. Speaking for myself, I didn’t know much about Abu Dhabi before doing a deep dive on the city after this morning’s news (which explains why I’m half a day late on posting about this). Whatever your political beliefs, hearing about the Middle East can conjure up mental images of terrorism and several wars to many Americans. That may not be fair, and I’m not equipped to write about the American psyche or unjust matters in the Middle East.

What I can say is that the UAE has played no part in the troubled Middle East-American recent history. Abu Dhabi and nearby Dubai consistently rank as 2 of the safest cities in the world among several respected outlets. UAE has also diversified their economy in recent years to not be as oil driven. Tom Bricker (Disney Tourist Blog) breaks down the numbers on that nicely in this piece. I’m not here to persuade you one way or the other. Instead, after doing my own research, I’d caution against judging something based on preconceived notions and to go inform yourself before reaching any conclusions.

Morality and location concerns about this announcement can, and will, be questioned. What won’t be in question is the financial investment this park will receive. Unlike Shanghai Disney, which the company had a major financial stake in, Disneyland Abu Dhabi appears to be going with a Tokyo Disney Resort model. Teaming with Miral as a financial backer, Disney will likely get a cut from ticket and merchandise sales without investing much (if anything) in the park. This certainly limits the risk for Disney although the reward will be lessened.

Miral (a leisure, tourism and lifestyle entity) has played a heavy role in Yas Island’s development. In 2021, the company announced plans to invest 4 billion into the island. That number could easily double with today’s news. Miral has teamed with most of the major projects on Yas Island (as well as other places in UAE) including an already existing ‘theme park zone’. The company’s CEO, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, has expressed his love of Walt Disney World in this foretelling interview.

For Disney Parks nerds that know some history, this all sounds a little familiar. Masatomo Takahashi started Oriental Land Company and deserves much of the credit for bringing Disney theme parks to Tokyo. Sure, there was some financial incentive in making a move like that but the guy just really loved Disneyland. Al Zaabi seems in a similar vein, as being a savvy businessman while also really loving theme parks.

That makes me bullish on Disneyland Abu Dhabi’s chances of being a great theme park. Along with being in a tech mecca, the parks will have significant financial investment. On top of that, the competition around them on Yas Island is pretty stiff. Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld all are operating in this Theme Park Zone. There’s also a water park called Yas Waterworld that I wish was based on the middling 90’s movie but is not.

Ferrari World has 41(!) attractions. Warner Bros. offers 29 attractions. Waterworld offers 40+ attractions! Abu Dhabi’s SeaWorld boasts that they are the world’s largest indoor marine life theme park. That’s certainly a mouthful and a niche category, but it sounds impressive. All this to say, Disneyland Abu Dhabi needs to be impressive in order to measure up to the competition. With Miral financing the project, I don’t think any expense will be spared.

This announcement shares similarities to the Shanghai Disney move by Iger. Both come in parts of the world with huge populations nearby, but have some sticky social, political and moral (fair or unfair) questions about them. They also both have hints of being legacy moves by Iger, one last historic move before leaving his post. The joke will be on us when he’s called into save the company for a second time in 2030.

As I’ve laid out, I’m far more bullish on this project than I was on the Shanghai park. Adding a theme park to a city that’s seeing tourism start to boom now bodes well. The financial advantage of this move for both Disney and the actual theme park, as well as the location along the water, should lead to a fantastic new Disneyland. Of course, we don’t really know anything about the park yet and likely won’t for a while. But I’m eager and excited for what’s to come!

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