Disney shocked the theme park community this past spring when the company announced that they were teaming with the Miral Group to bring their first Middle East-based theme park to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
©Disney
The new park will be located on Yas Island, with Disney and Miral having a similar agreement to the one that Disney has long had with the Oriental Land Company in Japan. Meaning that the new resort will be developed and built by Miral, with Disney and its Imagineers leading creative design and operational oversight. While that has been a recipe for success for Tokyo Disneyland, things may be a bit trickier in the UAE.
When the announcement of agreement was made, Disney CEO Bob Iger was nothing but positive, saying, “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.”
©Disney
While Iger’s comments set the project up to be an immediate success, history says differently. This new Disney project isn’t the first major theme park to be announced for the United Arab Emirates over the course of the last few decades. Some have succeeded, some have failed, and some (including three from industry leaders) were never even built.
Most notably, Disney’s biggest rival, Universal, announced a UAE park in Dubai in 2007. According to the company, they would be teaming with the then-government-owned developer Tatweer to build a 20,000,000 square foot park known as Universal Dubailand. The park was planned to have attractions based on Universal mainstays, including Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, Sesame Street, King Kong, Men In Black, and The Mummy.
Ground was actually broken on the park in an elaborate ceremony in 2008, which included a massive Universal arch. However, construction quickly stalled due to that year’s global financial crisis and never started again. The project hung in limbo for years, until Universal officially confirmed the project as dead in 2016.
©Arabian Business
At the same time in 2007, Six Flags also announced they were partnering with Tatweer to build a 5 million square foot theme park in Dubai. The company’s then-President Mark Shapiro said at the time that, “Expanding Six Flags beyond our current North American borders validates the growing strength and momentum of our brand.” Much like Universal’s park, the 2008 financial crisis hit the Six Flags plan hard, as plans for the park stalled and construction never began.
Apparently undeterred, Six Flags announced another planned Dubai park in 2014. This time, the development was to be in collaboration with Dubai Holding subsidiary Meraas Leisure and Entertainment. Construction actually began on the 27-ride park in 2016, with a planned opening set for 2019. However, financial issues once again hampered the project, and the project was canceled in 2019.
©Six Flags || Magic Mountain
While these Universal and Six Flags failures may seem like bad news for Disney’s UAE park, the Mouse House has something their rivals did not: Miral.
Currently, the company operates 4 mostly indoor theme parks on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, and Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi. These parks — all of which are primarily indoors, allowing them to be open year-round — helped Yas Island draw more than 38 million visits in 2024, a 10% increase on the previous year. Given these results, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be at least partially enclosed.
©Disney
Disney’s announcement that they were working with the Miral Group to bring a new theme park and resort to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates has surpassed many due to the history of failed theme park projects in the region, along with other political differences. We will be keeping a close eye on the project and will let you know any and all updates. Stay tuned to DFB for more on Disney’s Abu Dhabi theme park plans.
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As a former resident of both Abu Dhabi and Dubai I see success. Abu Dhabi succeeds in whatever they set out to do.
Since it is costing Disney nothing, it is worth the risk to them.