The Walt Disney Company has announced that it will open a theme park in Abu Dhabi, its first in the Middle East.
The waterfront resort will be built on Yas Island in collaboration with Miral, a local leisure and entertainment company.
Miral already operates SeaWorld and Warner Bros World, where a Harry Potter-themed park is in development.
The new theme park will add to Disney’s six fantasy resorts dotted across the globe, with locations in North America, Europe and Asia.
In recent years, Disney has increased its influence in the United Arab Emirates, with new retail stores and shows including The Lion King and Disney on Ice.
The United Arab Emirates is located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population, according to Disney, “making it a significant gateway for tourism.”
“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.”
Disney chief executive Robert Iger said that the plans for the new park were "thrilling.” He added that the theme park will be “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati,” describing the new site as “an oasis of extraordinary Disney entertainment at this crossroads of the world.”
Disney’s first theme park, Disneyland, opened in California in 1955. Its next resort opened in 1971 in Florida.
The first overseas Disneyland opened up in 1983 in Tokyo, followed by Paris in 1992, Hong Kong in 2005 and Shanghai in 2016.
The exact opening date of the new theme park has not been confirmed.
“We’re not pinning down a date yet,” Iger said in an interview with CNBC. “It typically takes us between 18 months and two years to design and fully develop and approximately five years to build but we’re not making any commitments right now.”
