On May 7, 2025, The Walt Disney Company announced plans to build a theme park and resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This will be the seventh Disney theme park resort, following California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
Disney promises this resort will be “a world-class destination for entertainment and leisure, connecting travelers from the Middle East and Africa, India, Asia, Europe, and beyond. This seventh Disney theme park resort will combine Disney’s iconic stories, characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culture, stunning shorelines, and breathtaking architecture.“
The Walt Disney Company will be partnering with Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences. Miral will fully develop, build, and once the park opens, operate the resort (similar to Tokyo Disneyland). Disney Imagineers will work with Miral on creative oversight.
The new Disney resort will be built on Yas Island, where theme parks Sea World and Warner Bros World are also located, as well as a waterpark and a Ferrari theme park.
During the announcement, Disney CEO Bob Iger remarked, “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.”
What We Know So Far About Disneyland Abu Dhabi
- The Walt Disney Company announced plans to build a seventh theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It would be the fourth Disney resort in Asia and the first in the Middle East.
- The resort will be developed and built by Miral, a UAE corporation that also helped develop Sea World and Warner Bros World in Abu Dhabi. Disney Imagineers will provide creative design and operational oversight.
- The resort is set to open in the “early 2030s.”
- A third of the world’s population lives within a 4 hour flight of UAE. (CNN)
- Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be the first waterfront Disney resort.
- According to Josh D’Amaro, the chairman of Disney Experiences, Disneyland Abu Dhabi has been in discussion for around a decade.
We have a lot to learn about this new Disney theme park and resort, and I’m sure plenty of updates are forth coming!
