Disney is set to open a new theme park and resort in Abu Dhabi in partnership with immersive destinations and experiences creator Miral.
“This groundbreaking resort destination represents a new frontier in theme park development,” Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro said in a Wednesday statement. “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,” he continued. “Ultimately, it will be a celebration of what’s possible when creativity and progress come together.”
The waterfront resort will be located on Yas Island, connecting travelers from the Middle East and Africa, India, Asia, Europe and beyond. It will be fully developed, built and operated by Miral, with Disney and its Imagineers leading creative design and operational oversight.
Disney will license its IP for the theme park and resort and provide certain development and management services to the project. While it will not provide capital, it will earn royalties based on its revenues, as well as service fees. Development is subject to finalizing additional agreements among the parties.
Upon completion, the new theme park resort will offer signature Disney entertainment, themed accommodations, unique dining and retail experiences, and storytelling that celebrates both the heritage of Disney and the futuristic and cultural essence of Abu Dhabi.
“We did study the region very carefully and we know that we had many opportunities. Obviously, building a theme park in a location is a huge endorsement of that location and speaks volumes in terms of the ability of that location to sustain the Disney theme park,” Disney CEO Bob Iger told analysts on the company’s second quarter earnings call Wednesday. “It was very obvious to us that there were many people, basically hundreds of millions in the world that are income qualified, where a trip to one of our six locations was pretty lengthy in nature and expensive. And so we thought the best way, obviously, to reach those people is to basically bring our product to them.”
Iger added that Disney was drawn to Abu Dhabi for its appreciation of quality, innovation, the arts and creativity, as well as a commitment to new technology.
“We also looked at what they’ve already built, between the Louvre that’s already built, the Guggenheim which is going up and other incredible experiences, the architecture here as well,” he added. “Everywhere we looked, we basically were convinced that this was a perfect place for us. And then in morale, we immediately bonded with them, in many respects spoke the same language and basically we both have a real appreciation of our history and our legacy. But moving forward and being forward-thinking and innovating is also part of our DNA. So it was very, very clear to us that of all the places that we could choose from, there didn’t seem to be any place that was better than this.”
The United Arab Emirates is located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population — about 500 million income qualified people. It is home to the largest global airline hub in the world, with 120 million passengers traveling through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year. In 2025 alone, 100 million to 200 million will come through Dubai and Abu Dhabi. By 2030, 39 million tourists are expected to visit Abu Dhabi.
“Abu Dhabi is a place where heritage meets innovation, where we preserve our past while designing the future,” Miral chairman Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak said in a statement. “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.”
“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,” Miral Group CEO Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi added. “Together, we are creating a place of boundless innovation, where the vision of our leadership continues to inspire the world.”
Disney’s experiences segment, which includes its theme parks, hotels, Disney Cruise Line and consumer products, grew revenue 6% to $8.9 billion and operating income 9% to $2.5 billion in the second quarter of 2025.
Domestic parks and experiences revenue grew 9% to $6.5 billion, while operating income grew 13% to $1.8 billion. International revenue fell 5% to $1.4 billion, while operating income fell 13% to $225 million.
Looking ahead, Disney remains “very optimistic” about its outlook for experiences, noting that business bookings for Walt Disney World are up 4% for the third quarter and 7% for the fourth quarter. It is forecasting 6% to 8% operating income growth for experiences for fiscal year 2025. However, chief financial officer Hugh Johnston acknowledged that consumers are tightening their belts in China.
“While I’m not going to rule out the possibility of another location, there’s nothing that’s really being planned near-term to actually build another park in what would be an eighth location,” Iger said. “It’s not exactly something that’s a priority right now for us.”
Shares of Disney climbed 10% during Wednesday’s trading session.
