The Walt Disney Company and Miral have signed an agreement to open a Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi.
The waterfront resort will be located on Yas Island and will be the seventh Disney theme park resort.
His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Miral, Yas Island theme park operator, said: “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.”
The new resort will be fully developed, built and operated by Miral.
The Walt Disney Company CEO Robert A. Iger said: “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.
“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.”
Miral Group CEO Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi said: “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.”
The new theme park resort will offer signature Disney entertainment, themed accommodations, unique dining and retail experiences, and storytelling ‘in a way that celebrates both the heritage of Disney and the futuristic and cultural essence of Abu Dhabi’, Disney said.
The news was announced to 40 members of the UK travel industry at an event in central London earlier today. Simon Parry, Senior Director of Product for Miral Destinations said: “This is a game-changer for Abu Dhabi and the Middle East region as a whole,” adding that the park in Abu Dhabi would be ‘distinctly Emiratie.”
Gaurav Lamba, Director of Marketing at The Luxury Travel Club said: “Wow, wow, wow, this is fantastic news. The arrival of Disney in Abu Dhabi marks a thrilling new era for family travel because it’s such a short flight from the UK.
“The Middle East does everything bigger than everywhere so I’m excited to see what lies in store.”
Ellie Morera De La Cruz, Marketing Campaigns Manager of Attractiontickets.com said: “I feel like this is a really exciting opportunity for Attractiontickets.com. We know there is a huge demand for customers looking for Disney and those parks in Orlando, so having that magic closer to home is going to be a great opportunity.”
