Disneyland Abu Dhabi location in Yas Island revealed for the first time: 'Lots of work ahead', says theme park CEO

Dubai: The location of the much-anticipated Disneyland Abu Dhabi has been revealed for the first time earlier today, after Disney CEO Bob Iger shared images from Yas Island on social media during a Yas Island site visit on January 26.

“Walking the site of what will one day be Disneyland Abu Dhabi,” Iger wrote in a post along with two photographs taken on Yas Island.

"Lots of work ahead, but all very exciting," he added.

The images show the Yas Island sign in the distance and azure water to one side, indicating that the park is likely to be developed in the northern section of the island.

While Miral, the Abu Dhabi-based developer behind the project, has not officially confirmed the exact plot, Yas North remains the only remaining area on the island of a scale suitable for a development of this size.

In earlier interviews, Miral chief executive Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi said that expansion of Yas Island would be “considered,” suggesting that infrastructure upgrades or land extensions could be required to accommodate the project.

First announced in May 2025, Disneyland Abu Dhabi will become the seventh Disneyland theme park in the world.

It will join an existing group of major attractions on Yas Island, including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World and Yas Waterworld.

Miral will be responsible for the development and construction of the park, while Disney will oversee its creative direction and provide operational support. The project will include a signature Disney castle and, for the first time in Disneyland history, will integrate a water element directly into the park’s design, a feature confirmed in September 2025.

Bob Iger has previously described the project as “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati,” adding that the park would act as a regional destination for Disney entertainment and bring its characters and stories to audiences in new ways.

No official opening date has been announced. However, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Josh D’Amaro told Reuters that the project would likely take one to two years to design and a further four to six years to build.

Based on those timelines, Disneyland Abu Dhabi is expected to open between 2030 and 2033.