Disneyland heading to Abu Dhabi

The Middle East will get a Disney theme park soon. The House of Mouse announced plans yesterday to open a new resort on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

It is partnering with the UAE-based developer Miral to build the Disneyland Abu Dhabi resort— its seventh such destination.

Miral will fund, build and operate the project, while Disney will lead creative design and operational oversight. It stands to gain royalties once the park functions, which ideally could take between 18 months and 2 years to design and 5 years to build, according to CEO Bob Iger.

It is a money-making move for Disney. Its parks alone represented 59% of its operating income in the 2024 fiscal year.

Why Abu Dhabi?
One-third of the world’s population lives within a four-hour flight of the UAE, giving Disney access to a tourism market of 500 million people. The Yas Island location is a growing entertainment hub that boasts Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, SeaWorld, and a Formula 1 circuit.

The announcement comes as Disney reported strong earnings. It made $23.6 billion in revenue, a 7% year-on-year (YoY) increase, and $4.4 billion in operating income, up 15% YoY.

Its streaming platforms grew too, with Disney+ adding 1.4 million subscribers in Q2, reaching 126 million subscribers, and Hulu adding 1.3 million subscribers.