How This Theme Park Complex Created One Of The Most-Watched Ads In History

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentHow This Theme Park Complex Created One Of The Most-Watched Ads In HistoryByCaroline Reid,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Caroline Reid covers the entertainment industryFollow AuthorApr 27, 2026, 06:55pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Yas Island is attracting local families to its theme parks with high profile ad campaigns.MSMFilling a theme park in the middle of a war is far from child’s play. However, over the past two months one operator in the Middle East has done that repeatedly with one of its outposts reaching capacity by the early afternoon. Remarkably, that isn't even its greatest feat.When war broke out in the Middle East at the end of February it was widely expected that the region’s tourism sector would grind to a halt. Joint attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel led to retaliation against peaceful nations, such as Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, two of the world's most popular tourist destinations.Despite not starting the war, and insisting that its bases and airspace should not be used in the conflict, the UAE has been attacked by Iran more than any other country. More than 2,000 drones and 450 missiles have been fired at the UAE by Iran as it claimed that American companies based there support the strikes and that airbases in the country are being used as launch points or support hubs.Although the UAE’s impeccable defences successfully neutralized the vast majority of the threats, the aerial attacks caused many major airlines to suspend flights to the country including Air Canada, Air France-KLM, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa. It cast a dark spell on international tourism but opened up a whole new world for residents.Abu Dhabi is home to the Middle East’s most-visited theme par...