Photos Show Yas Island as Disney Announces Abu Dhabi New Theme Park
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The Walt Disney Company announced that it is expanding its global theme park empire with a resort coming to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, blending the studio's storytelling with the culture and architecture of the Middle East.
Why It Matters
The new resort, to be developed in partnership with UAE-based leisure and entertainment company Miral, marks Disney's seventh global destination and its first in the region. The move reflects the company's broader international growth strategy and aims to attract visitors from some of the world's most populous and tourism-ready regions. According to Disney, the site lies within a four-hour flight of one-third of the planet's population, making it uniquely positioned as a future tourism hub.
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 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 Walt Disney Company
What to Know
Yas Island, already home to attractions like Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World and Yas Waterworld, will now host a Disney resort that company leaders say will be its most technologically advanced park to date.
Aerial view of the Formula Rossa roller coaster at Ferrari World on November 27, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Aerial view of the Formula Rossa roller coaster at Ferrari World on November 27, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Photo by"This project will reach guests in a whole new part of the world, welcoming more families to experience Disney than ever before," Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said in a statement published on the company's website.
Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, echoed the importance of the park's setting during an appearance on Good Morning America.
"The UAE and Abu Dhabi is a crossroads of the world," Iger said. "This is a hub in many respects but also, because it is located where it is, it's accessible to so many different regions, places where we typically have only scratched the surface in terms of attendance to our parks."
Iger also said the park would feature a modern castle, Disney's first of its kind.
"We haven't decided everything that will go into it, but we do know it will be anchored by a castle," he said. "It will be the first real modern castle that we built."
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 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 Walt Disney Company
Miral will oversee construction and operation of the park, while Disney Imagineering will lead creative design and operational oversight, mirroring Disney's model with Tokyo Disney Resort.
"What we are creating with Disney in Abu Dhabi is a whole new world of imagination," said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Miral, said in a statement.
Where Is Yas Island?
Located just 30 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi and easily accessible from Dubai, Yas Island is a man-made entertainment district known for its luxury hotels, theme parks, Formula 1 racetrack and golf courses. It has been at the heart of Abu Dhabi's tourism strategy since it opened to visitors in 2009.
The island is designed for immersive, family-friendly experiences and the infrastructure is already built to handle large volumes of international visitors.
People can also take a virtual tour of the island here.
Aerial view of Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi's Formula One racetrack on November 27, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Aerial view of Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi's Formula One racetrack on November 27, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Photo byHow Many Disney Parks Are There?
When complete, Disneyland Abu Dhabi will join six other Disney theme park resorts around the world, Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort.
Disney's international parks have shown steady growth in recent years. Disney's Experiences segment, which includes all its global parks, generated $2.5 billion in operating income for the most recent quarter, according to Forbes.
What People Are Saying
H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Miral, on Good Morning America: "We're going to make sure that what we build here in Abu Dhabi is going to be special and it's going to create everlasting smiles and memories for every visitor to come here."
Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, on Good Morning America: "We've decided that we want to build a very modern Disneyland. It will obviously incorporate a lot of our intellectual property and some of the typical stories that we tell in our theme parks."
Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, in a statement: "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."
What's Next
No opening date has been confirmed. However, Mubarak said Miral plans to bring the project to life "as fast as possible" without compromising quality.
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