Disney’s Expansion Strengthens US Ties with the Middle East
By Space Coast Daily // July 28, 2025
Disney recently announced plans to open its first theme park in the Middle East. The new resort will be located on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The move will strengthen the growing cultural and commercial ties between the United States and the Middle East.
It also speaks volumes about how popular the region has become in the global entertainment and tourism sectors. Disneyland Abu Dhabi is a massive coup for the UAE.
It highlights how the country leverages its partnerships with the biggest entertainment companies in America to stake a long-term claim in the tourism and media industries.
Plans for Disneyland Abu Dhabi come off the back of Disney’s exciting start to 2025, where the company announced a seven percent increase in revenue, reaching $23.6 billion.
That success caught everyone by surprise, including Disney. The company was expecting to lose a chunk of its subscribers after increasing its prices.
However, the Disney+ streaming business welcomed a whopping 1.4 million customers to the fold.
A New Frontier for Disney and the Middle East
It’s been seven decades since Disney built its first theme park in Anaheim, California. Since then, the company has grown into a powerhouse in the global entertainment sector.
Disney has established theme parks in major cities across the world, including Florida, Tokyo, Paris and Shanghai. Each of them introduced the company to a new culture.
The company started out by exploring American culture. But by the time Shanghai Disneyland opened for business in 2016, the company had already formed key relationships with local partners.
Disneyland Abu Dhabi is another major power play for Disney, aimed at expanding its global footprint even further. And the company couldn’t have picked a better location for the theme park.
Yas Island was developed and is operated by Emirati firm Miral. Plans for the Island fate back to 2006 when the UAE government decided to turn it into one of the largest tourism projects in the capital.
That plan turned out to be a massive success. Yas Island is now home to the Yas Marina Circuit and has hosted the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009.
It also houses the Ferrari World Park, where visitors will find Formula Rossa, the fastest rollercoaster in the world. Yas Island was named the world’s leading tourism project at the World Travel Awards in November 2009.
It is considered one of the fastest-growing entertainment and leisure hubs in the world and is already home to Warner Bros World and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi.
Disney will join the growing list of entertainment giants to call Yas Island home. It’s another feather on Miral’s cap and a massive endorsement of the UAE’s international appeal.
Building a Gaming Authority Through US Expertise
Disneyland Abu Dhabi is just one of many ways the UAE has capitalised on US expertise to bolster its international appeal. They have also repeated that trick with the gaming industry.
The UAE has made headlines for establishing a national gaming authority, but they may not have been as successful without picking the brains of American experts.
The country now has a regulatory framework that opens its doors to foreign investors and developers. It is considered one of the fastest-growing gaming hubs in the world.
Aligning with international standards has influenced the UAE’s online gaming sector. The Emiratis have become the benchmark for other Middle Eastern nations to follow.
The best Arab casinos online have traditionally operated under licenses issued in other jurisdictions, but the new regulatory authority in the UAE has taken charge of the sector.
Operators who welcome Arab players on their platforms will be required to comply with the strict guidelines laid down by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA).
The establishment of the GCGRA highlights the UAE’s willingness to develop its entertainment sector, making the country a more attractive proposition for international visitors.
It is undoubtedly as noteworthy as Disney’s collaboration with the UAE, which paves the way for creatives to thrive and for local traditions to meet Hollywood magic on equal terms.
That said, Disneyland Abu Dhabi will offer something unique. The theme park will have Disney’s fingerprint all over it, but not at the expense of the UAE’s identity, aesthetics and values.
That will go a long way in making sure Emiratis feel at home in the theme park and also create a safe and fun environment for the millions of international visitors expected to walk through its gates.
