The Walt Disney Company has unveiled plans for an exciting new theme park in the United Arab Emirates, underlining the nation’s emerging status as a significant center for finance and entertainment globally.
### Location and Vision
The planned resort will be situated on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, developed in collaboration with local partner Miral. Disney aims to draw visitors from diverse regions, including the Middle East and Africa, India, Asia, Europe, and beyond.
This announcement precedes a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE next week.
### Commitment to Authenticity
Disney’s CEO, Robert Iger, emphasized that “Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati,” envisioning it as “an oasis of extraordinary Disney entertainment at this crossroads of the world.” The new destination will merge Disney’s well-known characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi’s rich culture, picturesque coastlines, and stunning architectural designs.
### Expanding the Disney Experience
Once completed, Disneyland Abu Dhabi will mark the seventh Disney resort, following the inception of the first Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in 1955. Other Disney locations operate in Florida, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Iger explained that selecting this location would make the Disney experience more accessible to millions of potential visitors who find travel to the existing six parks lengthy and costly.
He also highlighted the popularity of existing attractions in Abu Dhabi, such as the Louvre museum and the future Guggenheim designed by Frank Gehry.
### Partnership with Miral
Miral group manages various hotels, resorts, and theme parks in Abu Dhabi, including Warner Brothers World, Ferrari World, and Sea World. In a discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, described the upcoming park and resort as the company’s most cutting-edge and technologically advanced destination to date. Unusually for Disney, the park will be financed, constructed, and operated by Miral, though Disney will provide oversight.
“We are very optimistic about this partnership in this specific region,” he noted.
### Financial Performance
The announcement of the new park aligns with Disney’s recent financial success, showcasing a significant rise in quarterly revenues that propelled its stock prices upward. The company reported a seven percent increase in overall sales, reaching $23.6 billion during the first quarter of the year. Additionally, subscribers to Disney’s streaming service surged to 126 million, with an addition of 1.4 million new subscribers, defying analysts’ predictions of a downturn. The Experiences segment, which encompasses theme parks, also witnessed a revenue increase, totaling $8.9 billion.