Disney to build Disneyland theme park resort destination in the Middle East
The Walt Disney Company announced today its plans to pursue its seventh theme park resort destination location in the Middle East, specifically in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The “House of Mouse” has reached an agreement with UAE-based immersive destination and experiences firm Miral Group to build the attraction as an additional major offering on the 25 sq. km. Yas Island, which is already a designated hub for major tourism and leisure developments.
“Disneyland Abu Dhabi” will be Disney’s first new theme park destination announcement in 15 years, when it first announced its plans to build Shanghai Disney Resort, featuring Shanghai Disneyland. It adds to Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris Resort, and Hong Kong Disneyland 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 Iger, CEO of Disney, in a statement today.
- You might also like:
- 10 big new things coming to Disney's theme parks and experiences
- Massive expansion of Disneyland Resort approved by Anaheim
- Disney launches Storyliving division to build "magical" residential communities
- Universal Studios looking to build its first European theme park near London
“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,” continued Iger.
This echoes Disney’s earlier messaging for the project launch of Shanghai Disney Resort, which was described as “authentically Disney, distinctly Chinese.” Shanghai Disneyland Park opened in 2016.
Location of Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, the site of the future Disneyland Abu Dhabi. (Google Maps)
Location of Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, the site of the future Disneyland Abu Dhabi. (Google Maps)
However, Disney will not make any financial contribution toward this project. Instead, it will benefit from royalties through a licensing agreement with Miral — similar to Disney’s 1979 agreement with the Oriental Land Company to create Tokyo Disneyland. Miral will finance, build, own, and operate the property, assuming all risk, while Disney will own the intellectual property rights and activate its team of Disney Imagineers to research, design, and develop the attraction.
Disney has full ownership control of the U.S. and Paris resorts and partial ownership control of the Hong Kong and Shanghai destinations.
Disneyland Abu Dhabi is not part of the US$60 billion investment announced by Disney in late 2023 to expand and improve its theme parks around the world over 10 years.
They are promising a whole new world. This new theme park in the Middle East promises to be the most immersive and technologically advanced Disney attraction, with UAE tourism projects particularly known for their ambition — supported by big budgets.
As well, the seaside waterfront location at Yas Island provides new creative opportunities.
“This groundbreaking resort destination represents a new frontier in theme park development,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of 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.”
Yas Island is best known for being home to the world’s largest indoor theme parks, including the 2010-opened Ferrari World, the 2018-opened Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, and the 2023-opened SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. These existing theme parks were also built by Miral under a licensing agreement, with the indoor climate-controlled configuration accounting for the region’s sweltering heat, often reaching over 40°C during the summer months.
It is not clear if there will be a significant indoor component at Disneyland Abu Dhabi; highly preliminary conceptual artistic renderings appear to depict a significant outdoor component, with a unique crystal-like main castle situated on the edge of the sea.
Highly preliminary conceptual artistic rendering of Disneyland Abu Dhabi. (Disney)
Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
World of Color – ONE at Disney California Adventure. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
The island is also home to the Yas Waterworld water park and the Yas Marina Circuit — the venue of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009 — as well as major live music, entertainment, and sports venues, and numerous hotel resorts.
This new theme park project will also include a number of Disney-themed resort hotels.
If all goes as planned, Disney’s seventh theme park resort destination location and its 13th theme park could open relatively soon in the early 2030s.
This project strategically allows Disney to enter a new major untapped global market. Yas Island is located near Abu Dhabi’s main airport, Zayed International Airport, which is the home base of flag carrier Etihad Airways. It is also just a one-hour drive away from Dubai International Airport, which is the world’s busiest airport and one of the world’s most connected. About 120 million air passengers travel through Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s airports each year.
Dubai is also home to several theme parks, including Legoland Dubai Resort and the Hollywood-themed Motiongate Park. However, Dubai has seen comparatively less success in the theme park sector than Abu Dhabi. This was most notably demonstrated by the failure of the ambitious Dubailand project, which resulted in the cancellation of major developments such as Universal Studios Dubailand and Six Flags Dubailand.
Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, which was expanded in recent decades through land reclamation, follows a similar integrated entertainment destination concept, but has seen far greater success, made even more apparent today by its ability to secure a Disney attraction.
“Abu Dhabi is a place where heritage meets innovation, where we preserve our past while designing the future,” said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Miral.
“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.”
Ferrari World theme park in Abu Dhabi. (ArtEvent ET/Shutterstock)
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi theme park on Yas Island. (tashmetova808/Shutterstock)
As for its own in-house projects for the theme park resorts it owns, Disney is making historic investments into the Disney Experiences division, which is the company’s most profitable division — exceeding film and television, Disney+ streaming, and other subsidiaries.
Construction on major theme park expansions is underway at Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park at Disney World and at Walt Disney Studios Park (soon to be renamed as Disney Adventure Park) in Paris, and other major expansions are planned for Hong Kong Disneyland Park and the cruise ship fleet of Disney Cruise Line.
In 2024, the City of Anaheim provided Disney with the approval to nearly double the combined resort size area of Disneyland Resort Park and Disney California Adventure Park, enabling an expansion of theme park, hotel resort, retail, dining, and other entertainment areas.
Disney increasingly has competition from Universal Studios’ theme parks. Universal opened Universal Beijing Resort in 2021, and on May 22, 2025, it will open the new Epic Universe Park — the third theme park for Universal Orlando Resort, located near Disney World.
In April 2025, Universal and the United Kingdom government confirmed the plans to build a Universal Studios theme park just outside of London, with construction potentially beginning in 2026 for an opening in 2031.