Following the announcement of a new Disney theme park resort planned for Abu Dhabi, Disney CEO Bob Iger offered additional insight into the decision during the company" Q2 2025 earnings call.
Speaking to investors, Iger emphasized that the choice to expand into the United Arab Emirates was the result of a detailed evaluation of regional demand and long-term opportunity.
"We did study the region very carefully, and we know we had many opportunities," Iger said. "Obviously, building a theme park in a location is a huge endorsement of the location."
He pointed out that hundreds of millions of people across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia are income-qualified but face long and expensive travel to reach Disney's existing destinations. The Abu Dhabi resort addresses this gap directly by bringing Disney experiences closer to those audiences.
Iger also referenced the fast sell-out of the upcoming Disney cruise ship based in Singapore as further proof of demand:
"We put it on sale just a few months ago… sold out in a matter of days. There is clearly a desire for consumers to engage with Disney in a wide region."
He made it clear that Disney does not see this new park as cannibalizing attendance at its existing resorts.
Iger pointed to several factors that made Abu Dhabi stand out:
- Tourism scale and accessibility: Over 125 million passengers are expected to travel through Dubai and Abu Dhabi this year. Abu Dhabi projects 39 million annual visitors by 2030.
- Cultural and creative alignment: Disney was drawn to the region's "appreciation of quality and innovation, and appreciation of the arts and creativity."
- Partnership with Miral: Iger said the relationship with Miral developed quickly, with both companies sharing a focus on legacy and forward-thinking innovation.
- Existing infrastructure: Iger cited major local investments like the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and other significant architectural projects as signs of Abu Dhabi's long-term vision.
"Everywhere we looked, we were convinced that this was a perfect place for us," Iger said. "Of all the places that we could choose from, there did not seem to be any place that is better than this."
In terms of structure, the resort will operate under a licensing model. Miral will fully fund and operate the resort, while Disney retains ownership of its intellectual property. Disney will lead creative design and development, and will have a permanent presence within the operating team to maintain the standards expected of a Disney theme park.
"This is essentially a license arrangement with considerable involvement from us," Iger said. "We will have employees embedded in the organization with them, to help them operate a Disney theme park at the quality level that everybody's used to."
The upcoming resort on Yas Island will be developed by Miral and designed by Disney Imagineers. It will be Disney's seventh global theme park destination and the first in the Middle East. A timeline for construction has not been announced.
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