Disney to open its next global theme park in Abu Dhabi

Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be Disney’s seventh global theme park destination. Photo / 123RF

Mickey Mouse is heading to the Middle East.

Walt Disney Co’s seventh theme park destination will be in the United Arab Emirates, on a relatively new tourist island already packed with amusement parks, a golf course, indoor skydiving and a stadium.

An announcement from the company today was heavy on excitement but light on details. Still unclear: the project’s timeline, the park’s size, what will be included or how much it will cost to build. The park will be “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati,” Walt Disney Co chief executive Robert Iger said in a news release.

The announcement talked up the use of new technology and the park’s waterfront location. The property will include themed lodging, dining, shopping, entertainment and storytelling consistent with Disney’s history but aligned with the “futuristic and cultural essence” of Abu Dhabi, the release said.

“This groundbreaking resort destination represents a new frontier in theme park development,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said in a statement. “Our resort in Abu Dhabi will be the most advanced and interactive destination in our portfolio.”

Whatever the price tag, it’s not Disney’s to bear: the company is neither building nor paying for the new resort. Miral, which the Associated Press describes as a state-owned developer based in Abu Dhabi, is funding the project and building it. The development company, the emirate’s self-described “leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences”, will also operate the resort, while Disney employees known as Imagineers will head up the creative design and operational oversight.

In the announcement, Iger referred to the park as “Disneyland Abu Dhabi”, though it is yet to be officially named. He said it would be “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”.

Disney highlighted the location’s potential as a busy aviation hub, located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population. The company already has theme park resorts in California, Florida, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai, the most recent addition that opened in 2016.

Yas Island, where the park will be built, opened in 2010 and includes a SeaWorld, Warner Bros. World, Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World, all developed by Miral. It has 44 hotels, dozens of restaurants and a racetrack. Abu Dhabi is working to grow tourism as part of its larger economic plan to reduce its reliance on the oil sector.

“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,” Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, group chief executive of Miral, said in the announcement.

For Disney, the project represents an opportunity to “reach guests in a whole new part of the world”, D’Amaro said in his statement. That global expansion – on someone else’s dime – comes as the company is increasing its own investment in other international and domestic parks and in its cruise line.

Disney does, however, run the risk of criticism for its ties to a Government that the US State Department says still outlaws same-sex relationships and cracks down on freedom of expression. Sports bodies and entertainers have faced backlash for holding events there. Disney publicly clashed with Florida’s governor in 2022 over a state law limiting classroom instruction about LGBTQ+ issues.

“Disney is a global company with operations all over the world,” the company said in a statement. “We are always respectful of the countries and cultures where we do business, while always adhering to our own standards and values.”