Abu Dhabi will be the second independently operated Disney resort after Tokyo (Photo by RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Few achievements in the leisure industry are as exclusive as being awarded the license to run a Disney theme park. The only resort that can currently lay claim to that accolade is in Japan but this is soon set to change.

In May Abu Dhabi announced that it is due to become the home of the second Disney theme park which isn’t owned or operated by the media giant. The Abu Dhabi government recently confirmed this reporter’s scoop that the park could open by 2030 which would be a spellbinding feat as the contract with Disney was only signed on April 29 this year. However, if anyone can pull it off, it’s Miral, the local leisure operator which will run the park.

1. A perfect portfolio

In just the past 15 years, Miral has emerged as a powerhouse of the theme park industry thanks to its portfolio of impeccable attractions on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island. No expense has been spared on its theme parks and there is good reason for that as this report explained. The ultimate objective of Abu Dhabi’s investment in the leisure industry is to diversify the city’s economy away from its declining fossil fuel reserves.

The more tourists that visit its theme parks, the more money is spent there and the more diverse Abu Dhabi’s economy becomes. Cutting corners in the parks could dent this strategy as it could put tourists off from visiting. Instead, Miral’s pristine portfolio of parks has had a magic touch on Yas Island as visits to the destination rose by 10% to more than 38 million last year.

Crucially, each of Miral’s parks was a step up from the previous one as the company’s dynamic chief executive Mohamed Al Zaabi explained to this reporter. The “next experience will be better than the previous one. That’s what we do always at Miral. We keep pushing the bar,” he said.

The journey began in 2010 with the opening of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi which is where you find Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster. Then came the groundbreaking Yas Waterworld which combines water slides and theme park rides. In 2018 the doors swung open to Warner Bros. World which turned traditional movie parks on their heads. Instead of being a behind the scenes tour, it plunges visitors into environments where the stars of the silver screen are meant to live.

Miral’s strategy culminated with the opening in 2023 of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, a paragon of marine life parks which has comfortably the world’s most high-tech ride. The consistency of this quality over 15 years ultimately convinced Disney to sign the deal with Miral but it took more than the wave of a magic wand.

2. Deep pockets

Building blockbuster theme parks isn’t for the faint-hearted. It typically takes tens of thousands of workers years to build them and costs billions of Dollars. Casting a powerful spell requires deep pockets and they don’t come much deeper than Miral’s as it is backed by the Abu Dhabi government.

By 2015 an estimated $40 billion had been spent on Yas Island and then came the $1 billion cost of building Warner Bros. World followed by the $1.2 billion cost of SeaWorld. The budget for Disneyland Abu Dhabi reportedly could stretch up to $10 billion which would be a whole new world for Miral.

3. Appreciation of the arts

Abu Dhabi’s leisure investments don’t stop at the theme parks on Yas Island. It is also building a museum district on nearby Saadiyat Island and this particularly caught the attention of Disney’s chief executive Bob Iger.

As he explained, Miral “demonstrated a number of things that were really important to us. One, a real appreciation of quality and innovation and appreciation of the arts and creativity and a huge commitment to new technology. And we were impressed with all of that. We also looked at what they’ve already built between the Louvre that’s already built, the Guggenheim which is going up and incredible other experiences, the architecture here as well. And everywhere we look, we basically were convinced that this was a perfect place for us.

4. Speaking the same language

English is widely spoken across Abu Dhabi but that isn’t the most important language when negotiating with movie studios. They also want to hear deep passion for their products so it’s helpful that Al Zaabi and Miral’s chairman Mohamed Al Mubarak have been fans of Disney and Warner Bros. from an early age.

As Al Mubarak explained to my colleague in an interview for Britain’s Daily Telegraph in 2018, “I am a big fan of their movies and their IP whether it is DC or Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera. I watched the cartoons growing up, read the comics growing up and still read the comics today and still watch the movies. They are some of the best movies I have ever watched.”

This kind of devotion was music to Disney’s ears as Iger explained. “In Miral, our partners, we immediately bonded with them in many respects, spoke the same language and basically, we both have a real appreciation of our history and our legacy, but moving forward and being forward thinking and innovating is also part of our, basically our DNA.”

5. Opening up a whole new world

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Middle East, a region which is home to some of the world’s most passionate Disney fans. So much so indeed that when Disney Stores were closing in almost every country around the world a few years ago, they were expanding in the Middle East as this report explained.

The UAE also has some of the friendliest visa regulations of any country and as a result of this, a staggering 88.5% of its 11.4 million residents are expats according to Global Media Insight. Analysis shows that many of them haven’t been able to visit one of Disney’s parks due to difficulties in entering Europe and the United States.

According to the Khaleej Times newspaper, 23.7% of applications for visas to Europe’s Schengen area filed by UAE residents were rejected last year. The hurdle of getting into the U.S. is almost as high with the number of overseas visitors in July falling 4.9% on the previous year. It only came to around 86.6% of the pre-pandemic level despite it being one of the busiest seasons of the year.

Not only does this give the UAE a pool of passionate likely visitors to Disneyland Abu Dhabi, it is also well-placed to welcome more. The UAE has a wide catchment area to draw on as one-third of the world’s population is located within a four-hour flight of the country. It is part of the largest global airline hub in the world, with 120 million passengers traveling through Abu Dhabi and nearby Dubai each year.

Crucially, the closest Disney park to the UAE is in Paris which is a seven hour flight away. This explains why Iger told CNBC that “I don’t really see this as a risk from a cannibalization perspective to any of our other resorts around the world.” That’s not all.

6. Spellbinding staff

People are at the heart of any company and perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in the theme park industry as its success depends on guests being enchanted by staff. Pulling this off requires workers who are passionate about the company and Miral goes the extra mile to ensure it.

Employees benefit from flexible work arrangements, including working from home for up to four days per month, extended remote working during summer and unlimited remote work in specific circumstances. They include pregnancy or caring for disabled offspring, known as children of determination in the UAE.

Miral also offers fully paid maternity, paternity, marriage, relocation and compassionate leave as well as paid leave for antenatal appointments. That’s in addition to time off to attend school functions and flexible nursing breaks. Its employees also get comprehensive health insurance, career progression opportunities, mental health and wellbeing coaching with trained professionals. It has even developed zen rooms for mothers – serene, hygienic and private spaces equipped with a fridge, microwave, books and more.

In recognition of this, the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) recently awarded Miral the Parent-Friendly Label following a rigorous assessment based on 19 criteria across five categories as well as extensive employee experience surveys.

“This recognition reflects Miral’s long-term dedication to cultivating a people-centric workplace that empowers employees to thrive both professionally and personally,” says Miral’s supremely skilled chief group human resources officer Mariam Al Musharrekh.

“By supporting our employees through key life stages, like parenthood, we aim to foster a resilient, motivated and high-performing environment where they feel valued, empowered and supported. These efforts reaffirm our belief that investing in our people and supporting their parenting journey, is integral to our long-term success.” It doesn’t stop there.

These social welfare benefits are part of one of eight pillars of Miral’s CSR strategy which was launched in 2023. Since it was introduced, the company has held more than 175 events and directly engaged with more than 3,000 community members across Abu Dhabi. Ingeniously, it uses the theme parks as social hubs and unique learning environments to drive participation.

In May Miral held an event at SeaWorld called My Community Canvas where people of determination collaborated on a huge artwork showing serene underwater scenes. The following month a two-hour workshop took place at Ferrari World giving young students a glimpse into the world of automotive engineering. Combining interactive demonstrations with hands-on activity, it gave the students experience in an inspiring and relevant environment. Young children aren’t the only beneficiaries.

Other initiatives have seen hospitality students taking classes on brand marketing and customer relations in the parks before getting first-hand experience of how data-driven decisions enhance guest satisfaction there. The parks even form a backdrop for gatherings of established industry professionals.

Just last month more than 15 Emirati women with vital roles in their organisations met at Ferrari World to celebrate Emirati Women’s Day. Equality also falls under Miral’s CSR pillars and it employs 168 Emirati women with 62 in specialized positions and six in leadership roles. Overall, women make up 66% of the UAE’s public sector workers with 30% in leadership roles thanks to a wide range of rules which prevent inequality. Measures like this align Miral with major Hollywood movie studios and its impact even extends beyond the boundaries of the parks.

Ahead of the recent start of the academic year, Miral transformed the grounds of the local Yas American Academy into a hub of fun activity featuring a themed photo booth, face-painting sessions and appearances by cuddly characters. Miral also regularly arranges tree-planting sessions in the local community and Taghrid AlSaeed, the company’s talented marketing director, explains that students assist with this “to inspire upcoming generations to become champions of sustainability and environmental care.”

It sounds just like something Disney would say and that is perhaps the clearest proof that this really is a fairytale partnership.