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Bob Iger’s Yas Island Visit Pinpoints Likely Disneyland Abu Dhabi Site

The Yas Island resort will be developed by Miral under Disney creative oversight, with an opening targeted in the early 2030s.

Overview

  • Disney’s CEO shared photos walking a coastal plot on Yas Island, offering the first public visual indication of the park’s likely location near the island’s northern edge.
  • Landmarks in the images, including a jetty and a reversed YAS sign along the E12 highway, align with areas commonly identified as Yas North, though an exact plot has not been officially confirmed.
  • Iger and Disney Experiences chief Josh D’Amaro held recent meetings in Abu Dhabi with the crown prince and Miral leadership to discuss development of the resort.
  • Miral will finance, construct, and operate the destination, while Walt Disney Imagineering provides creative design and operational oversight in a model similar to Tokyo Disney Resort.
  • No groundbreaking date has been announced; internal estimates suggest one to two years of design followed by four to six years of construction, placing opening in the early 2030s for Disney’s first Middle East resort.