The Yas Island boss transforming Abu Dhabi with Disney and Stranger Things: 'We leave egos at the door'

Dubai: Liam Findlay, CEO of Miral Destinations, doesn’t bother with breakfast. Not because his schedule is packed, but because he wakes up in motion — ideas first, food later.

“I normally wake up with too many ideas in my head and don’t have time to have breakfast,” he laughs as he settles into our conversation. Intermittent fasting may be wellness culture’s favourite fad, but for Findlay, imagination is the real fuel.

And Abu Dhabi has been dining well on it.

Over the past seven years, he has quietly — and at times audaciously — rewritten the entertainment DNA of the UAE capital. He has helped turn Yas Island into a global family destination, launched world-class attractions such as Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, expanded Ferrari World and Yas Waterworld, and set in motion a Harry Potter–themed land. Most recently, he delivered two headline-making coups: a Disney experience coming to Abu Dhabi and a fully immersive Stranger Things: The Experience.

He says it with the calm of someone accustomed to steering billion-dirham dreams: “We’re creating legacy. This is going to be a destination they’ll talk about for the next 20, 30, 40 years.”

The man who brought the Upside Down to the Middle East

If Findlay’s children weren’t impressed before, their father’s cool quotient skyrocketed this year. The Stranger Things: The Experience, which opened just as the show approaches its final season, is an IP coup for Miral — and a deeply personal one for him.

“This is the first teenage–adult show we really watched together,” he says. “Seeing it through their eyes is special, but they also get to see what my childhood was — because Stranger Things is so much about that.”

He grins as eerie sound effects from the attraction sneak into our conversation, as if the Upside Down itself is eavesdropping. For Findlay, the experience brings together cultural nostalgia, cutting-edge design, and intergenerational bonding — all core components of Miral’s philosophy to “put guest experience first.”

That phrase, which he repeats multiple times, is clearly a non-negotiable. “Guest is number one,” he says.

“Everything we do is about what the guest sees. Word of mouth is always going to be stronger than any of my campaigns with brand ambassadors.”

It’s a bold statement from a man who has worked with Ranveer Singh, Kevin Hart, Jason Momoa and Ryan Reynolds — but Findlay genuinely believes IP is only powerful when it inspires emotional connection.

The Stranger Things: The Experience certainly does that. “For me,” he admits, “this is probably my favourite thing.”

‘It’s always the team’

For all the fanfare around him, Findlay is quick to deflect credit. His leadership style is disarmingly humble.
“I always tell my staff: I’m not the smartest person in the room. If I’m making the decision, it’s probably not the best decision,” he says. “It’s the sum of all parts.”

Miral Destinations has a remarkably low turnover rate — about six percent — a testament, he believes, to a culture of collaboration and creative empowerment.

“We leave egos at the door,” he explains. “We all believe we’re creating something magical on Yas Island.”

This people-first philosophy extends to his own family. His kids have grown up on Yas Island, spending weekends at water parks, theme parks, golf courses and go-kart tracks.

“They live an amazing lifestyle,” he smiles. “Sometimes I have to pinch them to get them to understand how privileged they are.”

Disney secrets and the art of keeping them

Disney’s arrival in Abu Dhabi may well be one of Miral’s most significant milestones — and one of the hardest secrets Findlay has ever kept.

“My kids were very upset with me because I had to keep that a secret,” he laughs. “As a dad, that’s the hardest part of the job — keeping all the secrets.”

The project is still in its design phase, but the excitement is palpable. It’s a generational moment — Disney doesn’t simply expand to new territories; it embeds itself into the cultural and experiential fabric of a city.

And Miral, under Findlay’s stewardship, plans to honour that responsibility. “We’re very excited. There’s a lot coming up. Watch this space,” he hints.

Abu Dhabi: A Shangri-La for the World

Findlay has lived in the UAE for 15 years — long enough to become one of its most enthusiastic unofficial ambassadors.

“This country is utopia. It’s a Shangri-La of the world,” he says. “A melting pot of different cultures, and we all go in one direction.”

Safety, he insists, remains one of Abu Dhabi’s strongest tourism draws. “Abu Dhabi has been the safest city in the world for around 15 years in a row. For many travellers, especially families, safety is the number one priority.”

And families are at the heart of every decision Miral makes.

“Every project is about the overall destination and long-term success,” he explains. “We’re creating something commercially successful for many years to come — but it has to be done the right way.”

The global game — and why Miral looks inward for its North Star

Ask him about competitors, and he doesn’t hesitate.

“My Northern Star right now is ourselves,” he says.

“We’re creating something special. Of course, we learn from other destinations, but ultimately, we should be our own Northern Star.”

It’s a refreshing counter to the regional rivalry narrative often drawn between Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the emerging tourism ambitions of Ras Al Khaimah or Saudi Arabia.

“The destinations within the UAE work very respectfully with each other,” he adds. “It’s the sum of all parts. Competition is great for the destination.”

Then he rattles off the markets watching the UAE with renewed fascination: India, the GCC, China, Russia, the UK, Europe.

The world is hungry for what the Emirates is offering.

The Bollywood connection

India, in particular, remains close to Findlay’s heart. He lived in Bangalore for several years.

“The Indian traveller is incredibly brave,” he says warmly.

He recalls a moment that shaped his understanding of that market:
At Ferrari World, where his office sits, he uses the fastest roller coaster in the world — Formula Rossa — as an afternoon pick-me-up.

“I don’t drink coffee,” he quips. “So I go on that after lunch to wake myself up.”

One day, he found an elderly Indian couple, “late 70s,” queuing in front of him.
“I told them, ‘This is the fastest roller coaster in the world.’ They said, ‘Yes, we want the fastest.’ The smiles on their faces after… that’s India. Curious, brave, ready to try new things.”

It’s the same spirit Yas Island is courting — the traveller willing to write new stories.

F1, Metallica and a 12-year-old superfan

Entertainment doesn’t stop at roller coasters. F1 has become one of Abu Dhabi’s biggest cultural moments, amplified by after-race concerts featuring global superstars.

This year, Findlay’s son — aged 12 — told him his favourite band was… Metallica.
“I still can’t believe it,” Findlay laughs.

Thanks to Miral’s programming, father and son will now see Metallica live. “He can’t wait,” Findlay says proudly. “We’ll be first in line.”

Other headliners include Katy Perry and Benson Boone. Post Malone, he adds, is a personal favourite — and features heavily on the Findlay family car playlist.

The pace, the pressure, the payoff

December overwhelms most of us — including him. “But I love the pace. It’s fantastic,” he insists.

The trick, he says, is balance.

“We work in entertainment. Our job is to put smiles on people’s faces. But we also need to make sure we’re smiling. Downtime is important. Summer is a great time to recharge.”

Still, he admits: “The one thing we don’t have enough of is time. We have to keep going and creating the next best thing.”

Towards the end of our conversation, I ask him if he ever stops to celebrate the wins — Stranger Things, Disney, global ambassadors, blockbuster films being shot on Yas Island.

He pauses, just briefly.
“The team has done an amazing job,” he says softly. “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved. And we’re creating an iconic destination.”

Then the energy returns, as if he’s already mentally moving to the next attraction, the next big idea, the next IP that will redefine Yas Island.

“We’ve only just started.”