Disney in the desert: Behind the business of Dubai’s theme parks

Dubai: With the opening of the Warner Bros. park in Abu Dhabi this summer, and the push by Dubai to make the emirate a destination for family tourism, we take a look at the sustainability and outlook for the country’s theme parks.

We try to understand why both major parks missed their target numbers by a wide margin in 2017, and what might be impacting attendance at Dubai’s parks?

In light of the fact that several new parks are expected to arrive in the next few years, we also discuss where future demand will come from, and how parks in the UAE can do more to appeal to the domestic, and the international market.

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We look at whether indoor parks are more likely to succeed than outdoor parks given the hostile climate of the Gulf, and whether the success of the country’s water parks is proof of the potential that the theme parks hold.

It’s a real rollercoaster ride of a conversation...