Disney says Abu Dhabi theme park plans remain on track despite war

Abu Dhabi: Disney has confirmed that its planned theme park resort in Abu Dhabi remains on track, despite the ongoing regional war.

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The Abu Dhabi destination will become Disney’s seventh resort worldwide and its first in the Middle East. The company said the long-term strategy behind the project remains unchanged despite ongoing regional conflict.

In a letter to shareholders, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro said: “The strategic logic of our Abu Dhabi plans is unchanged. Major new theme parks are necessarily long-term in nature given the lead time of these projects, and this investment approach has consistently benefited our business.”

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D’Amaro told Reuters that the resort could take one to two years to design, followed by another four to six years for construction.

The update came as Disney reported quarterly revenue of $25.2 billion and net income of $2.7 billion, with its parks business helping the company beat analyst expectations.

The Abu Dhabi resort will operate under what Disney described as a “capital-light model”. The project will be funded, built and operated by Miral, the Abu Dhabi-based developer behind several attractions on Yas Island, while Disney will receive royalties from the resort.

The development adds to Abu Dhabi’s growing portfolio of leisure destinations on Yas Island, which already includes SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld.

Disney said Abu Dhabi’s location gives the project access to a large travel market, with around one-third of the world’s population living within a four-hour flight of the UAE capital.

In March, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, CEO of Miral Group, had also confirmed that plans to bring Disneyland to Abu Dhabi are moving forward. The Disneyland Abu Dhabi project was first announced in May 2025 through a partnership between Miral and The Walt Disney Company, marking the first Disney theme park destination in the Middle East.