Disney To Open Its First Theme Park In Abu Dhabi (image- twitter/alzaabiofficial)
The Walt Disney on Wednesday announced the opening of a new Disney theme park in Abu Dhabi. The resort in Yas Island is a collaboration between Walt Disney and local leisure and entertainment company Miral.
Walt Disney already has six theme parks spanning North America, Europe and Asia. Its most recent opening was in 2016 in Shanghai. Though the exact location of the theme park is yet to be confirmed, it is expected to be built on the large stretch of undeveloped coastal land near Yas North.
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There hasn’t been any official announcement of the opening date as well. However, while speaking to Reuters, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Josh D’Amaro said that the project could take “a year or two to design, and another four to six years to build.” This means that the opening can be expected between 2030 and 2033.
In a statement announcing the new facility, Disney said the UAE was located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population, making it a “significant gateway for tourism.”
Disney chief executive Robert Iger described the plans for the new park as a “thrilling” moment for the company and said Disneyland Abu Dhabi would be “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati.”
Miral’s boss Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi said bringing a Disney theme park resort to the area marked a “milestone in our journey to further advance the island’s position as a global destination for exceptional entertainment and leisure.”
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The company’s first theme park, Disneyland, was opened in Anaheim, California in 1955 and its international expansion began in 1983 with a park in Tokyo.
