Why Abu Dhabi won Disney’s first Middle East resort

Abu Dhabi is preparing to welcome Disney’s first theme park resort in the Middle East, and a new documentary offers a closer look at why the UAE capital was selected for one of the entertainment company’s most ambitious international expansions.

In Disney Worldbuilders, Disney CEO Bob Iger reflects on the decision to bring the company’s seventh global resort destination to Yas Island, highlighting Abu Dhabi’s location, design culture, creative ambitions and ability to deliver projects on a global scale.

Abu Dhabi’s location played a major role

One of the biggest advantages is geography.

According to Iger, around one-third of the world’s population can reach Abu Dhabi within approximately four hours.

For Disney, which already operates destination resorts in the United States, Europe and Asia, the UAE creates access to a vast new audience across the Middle East, South Asia, Africa and surrounding markets.

That connectivity gives Abu Dhabi a strategic advantage as Disney expands into a region where it has never previously operated a full-scale theme park resort.

More than a transport hub

But location was only part of the decision.

Iger described the UAE as an “oasis of the world”, pointing to the country’s combination of desert, mountains, greenery and coastline.

The documentary suggests that Disney was interested not simply in Abu Dhabi’s ability to attract visitors, but in the character of the destination itself.

The capital’s architecture, urban planning and willingness to experiment with large-scale design appear to have played an important role in shaping the company’s vision.

For a business built around turning imaginary worlds into physical experiences, that design culture matters.

Disney was looking for ambition

Another recurring theme is Abu Dhabi’s willingness to think on a large scale.

The future Disney site on Yas Island is still largely undeveloped, but Iger presents that openness as an advantage rather than a limitation.

He speaks about the emirate’s “potential and its dreams” and the idea that ambitious storytelling can transform an empty site into a major global destination.

That philosophy closely mirrors Disney’s own approach to theme parks, where films, characters and fictional worlds are translated into immersive physical environments.

Abu Dhabi is investing in the creative economy

The partnership also fits into Abu Dhabi’s wider strategy.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Miral, said the emirate is investing heavily in creative industries because of their ability to connect people through ideas, stories and experiences.

Disney’s portfolio gives the project enormous creative potential.

Its universe includes franchises and characters from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, Cars and Disney’s classic catalogue, giving designers a wide range of stories to potentially reinterpret for the region.

At the same time, Abu Dhabi has already demonstrated its ability to develop large-scale entertainment and cultural projects.

Yas Island becomes even more important

The Disney resort will be built on Yas Island in partnership with Miral.

The island is already one of the UAE’s biggest entertainment destinations, home to attractions including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Yas Island and Yas Waterworld.

Adding Disney would significantly strengthen Yas Island’s position on the global tourism map.

The project was first announced in May 2025 and will become Disney’s seventh theme park resort destination worldwide and its first in the Middle East.

What will actually be inside the park?

For now, Disney is revealing very little about specific attractions.

The documentary does not confirm which rides, characters or themed lands will appear in Abu Dhabi.

That means major questions remain unanswered: whether the resort will feature Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, classic Disney characters or concepts created specifically for the UAE.

What is clear is that Disney intends the project to reflect the destination rather than simply replicate one of its existing parks.

The company has previously indicated that the Abu Dhabi resort will combine Disney storytelling with the architecture and culture of the region.

Why the partnership makes sense

Disney has decades of experience creating immersive entertainment destinations.

Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, has been investing heavily in tourism, culture, museums, entertainment and creative industries.

That combination helps explain why the partnership developed.

Disney gains access to a strategically located new market and a partner capable of executing large-scale developments.

Abu Dhabi gains one of the most recognisable entertainment brands in the world and another major attraction capable of drawing international visitors.

A project designed for the next generation of Abu Dhabi

The Disney resort is still several years away, with opening expected in the early 2030s.

But even before construction transforms the site, the project is already becoming part of Abu Dhabi’s broader evolution.

The capital is positioning itself not only as a destination for luxury, business and culture, but also as a centre for global entertainment.

Disney’s arrival fits directly into that vision.

The company was not simply looking for another place to build a theme park.

It was looking for a destination with connectivity, ambition, design, cultural confidence and the ability to think at the same scale as Disney itself.

Abu Dhabi appears to have offered exactly that.