Disney to open theme park in the Middle East

Walt Disney has announced plans to unfastened its archetypal taxable parkland successful the Middle East.

The resort, which volition beryllium successful the United Arab Emirates (UAE) connected Abu Dhabi's Yas Island, is simply a collaboration betwixt Walt Disney and section leisure and amusement institution Miral.

Disney already has six taxable parks spanning North America, Europe and Asia. Its astir caller opening was successful 2016 successful Shanghai.

Miral is liable for the improvement of Yas Island arsenic a tourer destination and already operates SeaWorld and Warner Bros World wherever it is processing a Harry Potter-themed park.

In a connection announcing the caller facility, Disney said the UAE was located wrong a four-hour formation of one-third of the world's population, making it a "significant gateway for tourism".

It added that 120 cardinal passengers question done Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year, making the Emirates the biggest planetary hose hub successful the world.

Disney main enforcement Robert Iger described the plans for the caller parkland arsenic a "thrilling" infinitesimal for the institution and said Disneyland Abu Dhabi would beryllium "authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati".

The 10-sq-mile (25-sq-km) Yas Island is 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi and 50 minutes from Dubai.

Miral's brag Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi said bringing a Disney taxable parkland edifice to the country marked a "milestone successful our travel to further beforehand the island's presumption arsenic a planetary destination for exceptional amusement and leisure".

He said the improvement would "support sustained economical maturation successful Abu Dhabi and beyond".

The company's archetypal taxable park, Disneyland, opened successful Anaheim, California successful 1955. It was followed successful 1971 by Walt Disney World successful Orlando, Florida.

International enlargement began successful 1983 with a parkland successful Tokyo; Disneyland Paris opened successful 1992, past came Hong Kong successful 2005 and, astir recently, Shanghai successful 2016.

Also connected Wednesday, Disney announced amended than expected results for the archetypal 3 months of 2025, with gross up by 7% to $23.6bn (£17.7bn).

The Disney+ streaming concern added 1.4 cardinal customers. Previously Disney had predicted a flimsy diminution successful subscribers owed to a terms increase.

Attendance roseate astatine US parks with visitors spending much and determination was besides a emergence successful cruise vessel bookings pursuing the motorboat of the caller vessel Disney Treasure.

"Despite questions astir immoderate macroeconomic uncertainty oregon the interaction of competition, I'm encouraged by the spot and resilience of our business," said Mr Iger.

Danni Hewson, caput of fiscal investigation astatine AJ Bell said astatine a clip erstwhile truthful galore businesses successful the US were "worried astir the imaginable interaction of tariffs connected user spending, connected household budgets, Disney is feeling confident".