Disney to build new theme park in stopover favourite

Disney will build its seventh theme park, this one in the United Arab Emirates, the entertainment company said Wednesday.

The waterfront resort will be built on Yas Island on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, already home to Formula One’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Ferrari and Warner Bros amusement parks, SeaWorld and a waterpark.

The announcement to open a resort in a Middle Eastern country in which homosexuality is illegal may indicate a change in diversity policies for the US company, which has historically taken a pro-LGBTQ+ stance. In 2022, Disney’s animated Toy Story spinoff, Lightyear, was banned in the UAE due to an onscreen same-sex kiss.

Artist concept only … Disney and Miral hope to capitalise on transit passengers.Credit: Disney

A Disney spokesman said the company had operated in the Middle East for decades, and are “respectful of the countries and cultures where we do business, while always adhering to our own standards and values.”

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula. Home to 9 million people, it has leveraged its long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways to bring in more tourists over the years. A real-estate boom and the city’s highest-ever tourism numbers have made Dubai a destination as well as a layover.

Disney and Miral, the Abu Dhabi developer overseeing the project, hope to capitalise on the 120 million airline passengers that travel through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year.

Artist concept only … A projected opening date has not been announced.Credit: Disney

While long viewed as more buttoned up than the beaches and raucous nightlife in neighbouring Dubai, Abu Dhabi also is home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and there are more museums currently under construction.

The theme park announcement is being made ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump to the region next week. Trump has promised a series of business deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

Extraordinary design… The Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island.Credit: Getty Images

The theme park will be built and operated by Miral, but Disney will handle the design and development. Disney will also license its intellectual property and provide development and management services, according to a regulatory filing.

The California company will not be providing any capital for the project. It will earn royalties based on the resort’s revenues. It will also earn service fees.

Miral has been involved in the development of almost all of the entertainment complexes built on the island.

A projected opening date has not been announced.

AP, Traveller