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Niles: One year later, Disney still needs its Abu Dhabi plan

May 12, 2026

One year ago this month I was in Abu Dhabi for the announcement of Disney’s next theme park. Today, it seems crazy to many fans that Disney would be going ahead with a new park in what has turned into a war zone.

But the war that has raised public doubt about this project also demonstrates why Disney needs to develop more projects like Disney Abu Dhabi.

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Disney has not said much about its Abu Dhabi plans over the past year. In its annual report last fall, Disney noted that its deal is dependent upon “finalizing agreements” with its partner Miral that Disney has not since announced have been signed. In its most earnings report, Disney wrote “(t)he strategic logic of our Abu Dhabi plans is unchanged.”

That is not the same as saying that the Abu Dhabi plans are unchanged. But Disney made an important point with its earnings report statement.

Regardless of what ultimately happens with this current war in the Middle East, the conflict has exposed the volatility of global fuel markets. That makes it hard to envision a strong global middle class of families being able to afford to travel internationally anytime soon, the way that many did in the years before the pandemic. If Disney wants to reach consumers around the world, it cannot continue to count on visitors flying to America or Paris or China or Japan. Disney needs to place more of its theme parks around the world.

Disney Abu Dhabi is what Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro called a “capital light” project. Under the deal announced last May, Disney will not be the one paying for the new park. Miral will pay for the design, construction and operation of Disney Abu Dhabi. So Disney faces no financial risk in keeping this project in development so long as state-backed Miral remains committed.

It is easy to expand into a region where a local partner is willing and able to take on all the financial risk of building and running a licensed attraction. It might be much more difficult for Disney to find such partners in other regions unserved by its theme parks, including South America and Africa.

If Disney wants to minimize its risk in global expansion, it needs its Abu Dhabi deal to work out for Miral and the United Arab Emirates. That would encourage other major players around the world to step up and make their own deals with Disney.

Miral has kept its Yas Island theme parks open since the war began more than two months ago. Flights through the region have resumed, raising hopes that the tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates might recover. Yet my friends in the region report that missile alerts still happen from time to time, despite the recent ceasefire.

That is a tough environment in which to get anyone excited about plans for a new theme park. So it makes sense for Disney and Miral to work in private while awaiting what everyone hopes will be a peaceful solution for residents and visitors in the region.

Orange County Register

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Niles: One year later, Disney still needs its Abu Dhabi plan

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