The Walt Disney Co. is bringing a new Disney theme park and resort to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
The new destination will be the company’s seventh global resort, and will be its first in the Middle East, with Disney CEO Bob Iger framing it as “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati.”
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro says that the new park and resort will be the company’s most “modern” destination yet (a rendering, pictured above, features an unusual castle that appears to be made of crystal, for example), and will also be its most “tech-forward” park.
“Anytime we have the opportunity to build from the ground up, with as much change in the tech space and as much advantage that the tech space offers us right now, we’re going to go after that full force,” D’Amaro says. “In doing so, it will give us an opportunity to tell our stories in more immersive ways and more flexible and dynamic ways, in ways that Walt probably dreamed of back in 1955.
“Inevitably, given that this is our newest and seventh resort destination, it will be the most tech-forward, and our Imagineers are incredibly excited about that,” he adds. “There is so much that we can do, whether it be with a character like Mickey or something with Marvel, we’re going to have an opportunity again to pull our fans into these stories in new and unique ways.”
Specific timing on when the park will open, as well as which Disney intellectual property will be featured, will be disclosed later.
The new theme park in Abu Dhabi is also unusual in that it features a different sort of business model for Disney: The destination will be developed, built, and operated by the entertainment and destination holding company Miral, with Disney Imagineers leading creative design and operational oversight. The resort will be built on Yas Island, which Miral has been building out with entertainment experiences, hotels, and restaurants, and will be right against the water (“we’ll be able to pull water in and play with it in a completely new and unique way,” D’Amaro teases).
“We’ve been doing this for 70 years now. We have different models in almost every resort that we operate in internationally and in this model, knowing Miral and knowing what they’ve built, how sophisticated they are, we felt very comfortable with them as our partner in building this seventh destination of ours,” D’Amaro says. “The arrangement here is somewhat unique in that we, Disney, will control all of the design and creative elements of the development of this resort. We will of course, ensure operational excellence, such that when you walk into one of these parks, you will know it’s a Disney theme park.
“The Miral Group will completely fund the project, they will build the project, and ultimately, they’ll operate the project, with oversight of course from us, but we’re very confident in this part of the world, with this partner, that this is the appropriate business arrangement,” he adds.
The Miral Group has also developed Ferrari World, Sea World, and the indoor amusement park Warner Bros. World on Yas Island.
For most of Disney’s international resorts, there is a local operator. In China and Hong Kong, for example, local companies own a majority of the parks, with Disney holding a minority stake. The closest comparison to what Disney is doing in Abu Dhabi would be Tokyo DisneySea, where The Oriental Land Company owns and operates the park.
In Abu Dhabi, Iger said that while Miral will develop and operate the park, some Disney employees will be embedded in the company to ensure it meets the company’s high standards.
But why Abu Dhabi? D’Amaro framed the location as about bringing Disney’s experiences to an entirely new audience.
“There is almost an insatiable demand for these Disney experiences, and for every one theme park visitor we have today, there are 10 more fans out there that want to experience something Disney but have never had a chance,” D’Amaro says. “Abu Dhabi is an incredible place. It’s an international crossroads, a place that celebrates art and creativity and still celebrates their heritage, something that fits very nicely with the Disney company, and we think with this new park, we have an opportunity to celebrate everything that is special about the Disney stories, all the tradition that comes along with our theme parks, but really lean into a modern esthetic.
“A third of the world’s population is within a four-hour flight from our our site,” he adds. “Just today, there are 120 million passengers coming through Abu Dhabi and Dubai alone. And that number is only going to go up.”
Disney does not develop new theme parks often (the last was Shanghai Disney, which welcomed its first guests in 2016), making the new effort in Abu Dhabi a significant expansion. Disney has committed $60 billion in a theme park expansion over the next decade, with a slew of new lands and attractions based on Disney IP also set to roll out at its destinations across the world.
“As we started to really dig deeper into Abu Dhabi specifically and engage with our partners, obviously capital was not an issue. But in addition to that, they’ve demonstrated a number of things that were really important to us, one of real appreciation of quality and innovation and appreciation of the arts and creativity, and a huge commitment to take new technology, and we were impressed with all of that,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said on the company’s earnings call.
“Abu Dhabi is a place where heritage meets innovation, where we preserve our past while designing the future,” said His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Miral’s chairman. “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.”