Disney’s Abu Dhabi theme park will mark Yas Island’s fifth park

Disney is set to create a theme park in the United Arab Emirates in the coming years, picking Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island as the site for the planned project. 

Disney CEO Bob Iger told analysts and investors that Disneyland Abu Dhabi, the entertainment giant’s seventh park, will be “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati.”

The park, Iger said, will “rise from the shores of this land in spectacular fashion, blending wonderful Disney stories and characters with the cultures and tastes of this country and this region.”

The park will be built on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

The new park will be Disney’s seventh. (Walt Disney Company)

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It will provide “immersive experiences in unique and modern ways,” according to the Disney CEO.

Once constructed by developer and operator Miral Group, the new Disney park will join four other theme parks already present on Yas Island, which opened in 2010.

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi

People walk around at Warner Bros. World, the first-ever Warner-branded indoor theme park, in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. (GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi describes itself as the “world’s biggest indoor theme park.” 

The park boasts 29 different attractions across six “lands” within a massive 1.65-million-square-foot facility, according to its website. 

Miral announced in 2022 that a land themed after the popular Harry Potter books and movies will be added to Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi in the future. 

Yas Waterworld

The waterpark has 12 new rides and slides opening this summer. (Yas Waterworld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi)

Yas Waterworld, a massive waterpark on Yas Island, recently underwent an expansion, with 12 new rides and slides slated to make their debut this summer.

The addition of those new offerings will increase Yas Waterworld’s ride, slide and attraction count to more than 57, the theme park said in a late April press release. 

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

A view of Ferrari World at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi was the first theme park to start welcoming guests on Yas Island. It celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020.

The “world’s fastest roller coaster, the highest loop ride, the tallest space-frame structure ever built on the planet” and other rides can be found within the park, Ferrari World said on its website.

Guests can also take a spin in a Ferrari Portofino sports car, either as the driver or a passenger, through an experience the park offers.

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SeaWorld Abu Dhabi

People tour at SeaWorld, the region’s first marine life theme park, on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. (KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is located near Ferrari World on Yas Island.

It has more than 15 “interactive experiences and rides” and over 100 animal experiences and presentations, as well as other entertainment.

There are “up close” animal encounters with penguins, sea otters, dolphins and other creatures. Meanwhile, a “SeaSub” attraction allows guests to explore the park’s aquarium and see fish from inside a submersible.

A view of the Yas Marina and the W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

While theme parks are a major draw for Yas Island, they aren’t the only destinations and activities present. 

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There is a golf course and Clymb Abu Dhabi, a facility that offers indoor skydiving and rock-climbing. The island also has a 2.5-million-square-foot shopping center, Yas Mall, with hundreds of brands.

Miral said in late April that Yas Island experienced more than 38 million visits last year.