by Joe Tracy, editor of Theme Park Magazine
In a move that marks its first major expansion in over a decade, The Walt Disney Company unveiled plans on May 7, 2025, to create its seventh global theme park resort. This will be Walt Disney’s first theme park in the Middle East. Disneyland Abu Dhabi (working title) will rise on Yas Island, joining the emirate’s growing collection of world-class attractions and positioning Disney at a strategic crossroads connecting millions of potential visitors across multiple continents. The timing of the announcement comes just days before Universal Epic Universe officially opens to the public, highlighting the ongoing competition between the two theme park giants.
The announcement comes fifteen years after Disney’s last new park project, Shanghai Disneyland, was revealed in 2010, signaling a significant shift in the company’s global expansion strategy and opening a new chapter for theme park enthusiasts across the Middle East and beyond.
A Strategic Partnership: Disney Teams with Miral
Disney isn’t tackling this massive project alone. The entertainment giant has partnered with Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, to bring this vision to life. Under the agreement, Miral will fully develop, build, and fund the resort, a departure from Disney’s approach with some previous international parks, where Disney shouldered significant financial investment.
Disney CEO Bob Iger described the arrangement as “essentially a license arrangement with considerable involvement from us,” highlighting that Disney will earn royalties based on the project’s revenues while also receiving service fees for its contributions to design, development, and ongoing management.
The creative vision for the park is summed up in a phrase repeated by both companies: “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati.” This dual identity points to a theme park that will blend Disney’s iconic storytelling with Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage, architecture, and natural landscape.
“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,” Iger said. “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.”
Disney’s Most Advanced and Interactive Destination
Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, has set high expectations for the project, describing the Abu Dhabi resort as potentially “the most advanced and interactive destination in our portfolio.” The waterfront location is positioned as a key differentiator that will “allow us to tell our stories in completely new ways,” according to D’Amaro.
While specific attractions haven’t been revealed, Disney has indicated that the resort will include signature Disney entertainment, themed accommodations, unique dining, and retail experiences. The land allocated is reportedly “large enough to showcase all of our franchises,” pointing to a comprehensive Disney experience. Current plans include the first truly modern Disney castle, drawing inspiration from Abu Dhabi’s contemporary architecture and waterfront setting, a dramatic departure from the fairy tale castles that have defined Disney parks since 1955.
Walt Disney Imagineering will lead the creative design process, maintaining the company’s exacting standards while adapting to local culture and context. The company will also provide operational oversight to ensure the resort delivers the high-quality guest experiences expected of any Disney destination.
Why Abu Dhabi? A Global Crossroads
The choice of Abu Dhabi wasn’t made lightly. Disney conducted extensive evaluation of potential locations in the Middle East, with Iger stating, “It was very, very clear to us that of all of the places that we could choose from, there didn’t seem to be any place that was better than this.”
The UAE’s strategic location, within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population, makes it an ideal gateway for visitors from the Middle East, Africa, India, Asia, and Europe. This geographical advantage is bolstered by the UAE’s position as home to the world’s largest global airline hub, with approximately 120 million passengers traveling through Abu Dhabi and Dubai annually.
Iger highlighted the presence of a large, underserved population of “income-qualified” consumers who currently live far from Disney’s existing parks. The new resort allows Disney to tap into these markets without requiring potential visitors to undertake long, expensive journeys to other Disney destinations.
Yas Island: Abu Dhabi’s Entertainment Hub
Disneyland Abu Dhabi won’t stand alone but will join an established collection of entertainment destinations on Yas Island, a man-made island already known as a premier leisure hub. Miral has previously developed several major attractions on the island, including Ferrari World Yas Island, Warner Bros. World Yas Island, SeaWorld Yas Island, Yas Waterworld, and CLYMB Abu Dhabi.
Beyond these theme parks, Yas Island hosts the Yas Marina Circuit (home to the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix), the Etihad Arena, numerous hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, a golf club, and beach access. This existing infrastructure creates opportunities for cross-promotion and packaged experiences that could enhance the overall appeal of Yas Island as a comprehensive tourist destination.
His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman at Miral, emphasized the significance of this collaboration:
“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.”
A Blueprint for Disney’s Future Expansion?
The Disneyland Abu Dhabi project represents a departure from Disney’s previous international expansion model, most recently seen with Shanghai Disneyland. In that venture, Disney committed substantial capital investment, making the project more financially intensive for the company.
The arrangement with Miral, where the local partner bears the full capital cost while Disney contributes its intellectual property, creative expertise, and operational standards, could signal a preferred approach for future international expansions. This capital-light model allows Disney to extend its global footprint and tap into new revenue streams while minimizing direct financial risk.
The project supports Disney’s broader strategy, not related to Abu Dhabi, to invest $60 billion into its theme parks and cruise lines by 2033, including approximately $30 billion already designated for expansions in Florida and California. By structuring the Abu Dhabi project as a licensing agreement, Disney can focus its direct capital investments on its existing properties while still growing its global presence.
Timeline and Development Trajectory
While no specific opening date has been announced, the journey from announcement to opening day will span several years. Based on Disney’s typical project cycles, the initial design and full development phase will likely take between 18 months and two years. Following this, physical construction is projected to require approximately five to six years.
Walt Disney Imagineering is already deeply engaged in the design phase, suggesting that conceptual work is underway. The extended timeline, potentially six to eight years from announcement to opening, provides ample opportunity to incorporate cutting-edge technologies that may still be in development stages today.
When asked about timing in an interview with CNBC, Iger declined to provide a specific opening date but suggested the resort may take more than five years to complete. This careful approach is standard for projects of such scale and complexity.
A Win-Win Partnership
For Disney, the Disneyland Abu Dhabi project represents a strategic opportunity to penetrate a new and growing market with minimal financial risk. The licensing and services model leverages Disney’s core strengths, including its intellectual property, creative capabilities, and operational expertise, while avoiding the substantial capital outlays typically associated with new park developments.
For Miral and Abu Dhabi, securing a Disney-branded destination is a major coup that will significantly enhance the emirate’s tourism appeal. The project aligns perfectly with Abu Dhabi’s vision to diversify its economy beyond oil and gas and establish itself as a premier global tourism destination.
Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Miral, highlighted this alignment:
“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. Together, we are creating a place of boundless innovation, where the vision of our leadership continues to inspire the world.”
What This Means for Theme Park Enthusiasts
For Disney fans and theme park enthusiasts across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, the announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi represents a watershed moment. A Disney experience that once required intercontinental travel will soon be accessible within a relatively short flight, opening the magic of Disney to millions of potential first-time visitors.
The promise of Disney’s “most advanced and interactive destination” also suggests that innovation will be at the forefront, potentially showcasing technologies and storytelling approaches that could eventually influence Disney’s other parks worldwide.
As D’Amaro put it, the 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.”
While much remains to be revealed about Disneyland Abu Dhabi’s specific attractions, themes, and experiences, one thing is certain: Disney’s first Middle Eastern theme park represents not just a new pin on the company’s global map, but a bold step into a region brimming with untapped potential for the kind of immersive entertainment that has made Disney a household name worldwide.
The seventh jewel in Disney’s theme park resort crown may still be years away from welcoming its first guests, but its announcement alone marks an exciting new chapter in the ongoing story of Disney’s global theme park empire.
Explore More: Videos
Disney’s Video Announcement of Abu Dhabi project
Explore More: Resources
- Article: Walt Disney Company’s Announcement (Walt Disney Company)
- Website: Miral
- Website: Yas Island
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About Joe Tracy
Joe Tracy, the creator, and editor of Theme Park Magazine, is a lifetime enthusiast of theme parks and immersive experiences. The publication was launched under his leadership on June 1, 2021, as a manifestation of his deep-seated love for all things themed. Joe has amassed over 20 years of expertise in both traditional print and online publishing.
