Latest news with #DisneylandAbuDhabi
Arabian Business
7 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Business
Disneyland Abu Dhabi triggers real estate shift: Price moves, investor interest and new hotspots identified
Disney recently announced a theme park in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, marking its seventh destination globally. According to real estate experts, the announcement is already positively impacting the capital's property market. While the project is years from completion, early signs point to growing investor interest, increased inquiries for off-plan units, and early price adjustment discussions. 'Even for an established, world-class tourism and leisure hub, Yas Island's recent announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi is a major touristic coup, and yet another reason why Yas is one of Abu Dhabi's most dynamic residential investment destinations. The news has put Yas firmly in the spotlight and immediately boosted investor confidence in this world-class destination,' Riyad Magdy, Chairman and Founder, Oia Properties, said in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business. Abu Dhabi real estate boom According to recent market data, Abu Dhabi real estate has already been on a growth trajectory prior to Disney's announcement, with April transactions up 15.7 per cent from March, reaching AED 2.9 billion (£615 million), however, a noticeable increase in interest was observed in the week following the announcement. 'There's definitely a growing buzz and a noticeable uptick in interest over the past week. and are confident in the short medium and long-term interest in Yas – and surrounding areas,' Magdy said. Amid rising investor interest in Abu Dhabi's real estate sector, the off-plan segment saw a significant boost. In April, the off-plan sector accounted for over 70 per cent of transactions in locations including Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, and Al Jubail Island. 'Disneyland will have a positive and far-reaching impact on Abu Dhabi as a whole, most notably lifting sentiment on Yas Island and boosting interest in off-plan projects, but also reaching into all surrounding areas in mainland Abu Dhabi. It will also add impetus to new emerging areas such as Zayed City,' Magdy explained. Additionally, the short-term and long-term rental market is also set to benefit from the uptick. In April, over 18,000 rental transactions totalling AED 1.3 billion was recorded. Experts anticipate that Disneyland Abu Dhabi will further boost this number. 'Yas has always been popular for residential investors looking for short-term rentals – the integration of premium residences, plus the existing exhilaration from Ferrari World and Yas Marina Circuit makes the island uniquely appealing, especially with limited hotel inventory. We are seeing increasing traction from those looking for ROI in short-term lettings and vacation rentals,' he said. . 'Disneyland will be a game-changer for Abu Dhabi's property landscape. We predict increased property demand on Yas Island and nearby areas, with buyers seeking high-quality, future-oriented homes,' said Nada Jaouhar, Abu Dhabi Branch Director at Betterhomes. According to the Savills Abu Dhabi Residential Market in Minutes – Q1 2025 report, the Abu Dhabi real estate market is supported by sustained demand, new supply and the emirate's growing international appeal. Average sales rates across the market increased from AED 14,100 ($3,840) per sqm in Q1 2024 to AED 16,200 ($4,410) per sqm in Q1 2025, a 13.4 per cent increase year on year. Although experts believe that it is still early to predict a significant shift in behaviour there is already visible attention from real estate enthusiasts. 'The news cycle has tended to favour Dubai in terms of scale and volume of real estate and tourism announcements, but Disney's endorsement of Abu Dhabi is a major milestone and one that reminds us all of the significant achievements the emirate has made with its own tourism ambitions and destination marketing campaign,' Magdy said. However, the impact is expected to scale beyond the real estate sector, experts believe that hospitality brands will also flock in to cater to the rising demand. 'I predict that hospitality brands will compete for a property on, or surrounding Yas, enhancing Abu Dhabi's hotel inventory, which is smaller when compared to the saturated nature of Dubai's,' he explained. Developments including Etihad Rail further support Abu Dhabi's increased recognition as an international hotspot, providing accessibility and convenience from all the Emirates. The rail's passenger service is expected to launch in 2026, slashing travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to just 30 minutes. For investors looking to tap into Abu Dhabi's real estate market, experts advise consulting with trusted and experienced industry advisors. 'Consulting a trusted real estate advisor is essential for investors eyeing opportunities ahead of Disneyland Abu Dhabi's debut. A qualified expert can help analyse transaction history, price trends, and pinpoint high-growth zones like Yas Island, where property values are expected to rise significantly. They can also guide buyers and investors through off-plan options and projected rental yields to help structure their investment wisely,' Magdy concluded.
Zawya
28-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Oia Properties rounds up ready-to-move-in Yas Island investment opportunites
Leading Abu Dhabi Brokerage, Oia Properties, highlights the array of ready residential projects on Yas Island, perfect for savvy investors looking to capitalize on the uplift from the announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi – Oia Properties, the award-winning real estate agency headquartered in Abu Dhabi, reveals its top investment opportunities in Yas Island. A world-class tourism and leisure hub, Yas Island's recent announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi is a major touristic coup, and yet another reason why Yas is one of Abu Dhabi's preferred addresses and a dynamic residential investment destination. The integration of premium residences, plus the existing exhilaraiton from Ferrari World and Yas Marina Circuit makes the island uniquely appealing, especially with limited hotel inventory. Oia notes that clients particularly benefit from outstanding ROI in short-term lettings and vacation rentals. At the heart of Yas Island's success story is its array of high quality residential communities combining exceptional locations, thoughtfully designed homes, and access to some of the island's best amenities, from waterfront apartments, golf course retreats, or vibrant urban addresses. Choosing a ready-to-move property means buyers can experience a premium lifestyle without waiting years for construction and delivery of an off-plan unit. Oia Properties selects its top recommendations for ready investment opportunites on Yas Island: Mayan – Resort-Style Living Overlooking Yas Links Mayan stands out with its mix of luxury, privacy, and direct beach access. Located next to Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Mayan offers a beautiful collection of studios, apartments (1-4 bedrooms), and spacious beach houses with panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf, the golf course, or lush mangroves. Properties start from AED 695,000 for a one-bedroom apartment, with larger three-bedroom units reaching around AED 7.78 million. Every residence features spacious living areas, floor-to-ceiling windows, and modern fitted kitchens, with select units including maid's rooms and expansive private terraces. Highlights: Private beach access Multiple swimming pools and sun decks Fully equipped gym, sauna, and steam rooms Children's play areas (indoor and outdoor) 24/7 concierge and security Underground parking and community spaces Ansam – Mediterranean Charm Meets Modern Comfort Set along the west side of Yas Island and overlooking the greens of Yas Links, Ansam offers low-rise, Andalusian-style apartment buildings designed for relaxed, community-driven living at a relatively affordable price. Perfect for families and couples, Ansam's homes range from charming studios to spacious three-bedroom apartments, with starting prices from AED 629,000. Each apartment features classic design touches, modern interiors, and private balconies, many offering golf course or sea views. Highlights Include: Infinity pools and landscaped gardens Fully equipped gym and wellness areas Jogging and cycling trails BBQ spaces and children's play areas Marina & yacht club access Residents at Ansam enjoy being close to Yas Mall, Yas Marina Circuit, and an array of cafes, restaurants, and leisure facilities, while living in a quieter, more residential part of Yas Island. Water's Edge – Canal-Side Living At Its Best For those who dream of waterfront living without the heavy price tag, Water's Edge delivers. Located along Yas Island's canal, Water's Edge offers contemporary studios and 1-3 bedroom apartments starting from AED 870,000, ready for an immediate move. Each apartment is designed to maximise space and light, with open-plan living areas, built-in wardrobes, balconies, and sleek modern finishes. Lifestyle Features At Water's Edge Include: 800m private canal promenade with cafes and shops Jogging tracks and multi-sports courts Swimming pools and gyms 24/7 gated security Children's playgrounds and landscaped gardens The location is another major advantage: residents are just minutes from Yas Mall, Yas Beach, and all of Yas Island's attractions. Water's Edge also boasts excellent rental potential, with strong ROI figures making it a popular choice for investors. Yas Golf Collection (Handover Soon — May 2025) Although Yas Golf Collection is still under construction, it's worth mentioning for buyers who want move-in ready luxury by next year. Situated next to Yas Links Golf Course, Yas Golf Collection offers fully furnished studios and 1-bedroom apartments, along with unfurnished 2 and 3-bedroom homes — all designed to maximise views across the golf course, the mangroves, and the Arabian Gulf. Key Features Include: Elegant, fully furnished units Swimming pools, running tracks, and outdoor gyms Cinema, gaming rooms, and social lounges Direct access to Yas Beach and Yas Links Golf Course Prices starting from AED 749,000 Perfect for both end-users and investors, Yas Golf Collection is designed to offer a lifestyle where leisure, work, and luxury living all come together. Handover is expected in Q1 2025, making it a great opportunity for buyers planning a move soon. Regardless if you're drawn to the waterfront promenades of Water's Edge, the Mediterranean vibes of Ansam, or the resort-style living at Mayan, there's something to match every preference and budget. For media queries: Sophie Toh | Mercury Projects sophie@
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump says Bob Iger visited his office to discuss Disney's new theme park: 'It's going to be incredible'
President Donald Trump spoke at a business roundtable in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Trump talked about Disney's planned theme park in Abu Dhabi. Disney announced its seventh theme park, Disneyland Abu Dhabi, earlier this month. President Donald Trump has high hopes for Disney's seventh theme park. "I see the new theme park is going to be incredible. Bob Iger was in my office the other day and he was showing it to me," Trump said during a roundtable with business leaders in Abu Dhabi on Friday. "It's going to be incredible." Earlier this month, Disney announced that it planned to build its seventh theme park in Abu Dhabi. Disney, working alongside immersive experiences company Miral, said the theme park would be built on Yas Island. "Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati — an oasis of extraordinary Disney entertainment at this crossroads of the world that will bring to life our timeless characters and stories in many new ways and will become a source of joy and inspiration for the people of this vast region to enjoy for generations to come," Iger said in a statement. Representatives for the White House and Disney did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Abu Dhabi was the final stop on Trump's Middle East trip. Earlier this week, the president touched down in Saudi Arabia before traveling to Qatar and, finally, the United Arab Emirates. Trump returned to the United States on Friday after securing a flurry of deals in those countries, including a deal for American chipmaker Nvidia to provide at least 18,000 Blackwell GPUs to Saudi Arabia and for Qatar Airways to pay Boeing $96 billion to build at least 160 jets. The US and Saudi Arabia also struck an arms deal worth almost $142 billion. Disney has been a lightning rod in the culture wars in recent years, including its legal showdown with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Since returning to the company in 2022, Iger has sought to change this perception. Although Iger publicly criticized Trump and his policies during his first term, his tune appears to have changed this time around. Disney, along with other companies like Meta and Amazon, for example, announced it would make changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives — an important agenda item for Trump. "I've always believed that we have a responsibility to do good in the world, but we know our job is not to advance any kind of agenda," Iger said during a livestreamed meeting in 2024. "For as long as I'm in the job, I'm going to continue to be guided by a sense of decency and respect, and we'll always trust our instincts." Read the original article on Business Insider
Skift
14-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Who Is Disneyland Abu Dhabi For? A Look at Key Source Markets and Flights
Disneyland Abu Dhabi is arguably the company's most central theme park, located near to half a billion customers, believes CEO Bob Iger. The announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi on Yas Island last week marked the first new Disney park unveiled since 2010 and the first-ever in the Middle East. Strategically placed, execs believe the resort could open the brand up to half a billion potential customers. 'The UAE in many respects is the crossroads of the world,' Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC following the announcement. 'About 500 million people that are income-qualified, meaning they can afford to visit one of our parks, live within a four-hour flight from here.' A New Hub For Disney Geographically, Abu Dhabi bridges the East and West, sitting between Disneyland Paris and the major Asian resorts in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. In 2024, the capital's top source markets were India, China, the UK, Russia and Saudi Arabia, according to Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. When neighboring Dubai's tourism footprint is factored in, the broader GCC, South Asia, and Western Europe emerge as dominant feeder markets. The appeal of Yas Island, already home to Warner Bros. World, Ferrari World, and other major attractions, is rapidly scaling. 'We saw a 40% increase in international stays at Yas Island hotels last year,' Rotana Hotels COO Eddy Touous told Dubai Eye Radio last week. 'Abu Dhabi is no longer a seasonal destination. [Rotana had] over 82% hotel occupancy in 2024, and demand has become year-round.' Rotana is an Abu Dhabi-born hotel group with 16 hotels currently open in the capital. Airlift and Flights In 2024, Abu Dhabi Airports, operator of the emirate's five commercial airports, saw 29.4 million passengers through its airports, a 28.1% increase compared to the 22.9 million passengers in 2023, according to a press release. Here are some of the main countries located approximately four hours or less from the UAE: Middle East: Saudi Arabia Qatar Oman Bahrain Kuwait Jordan Lebanon South Asia: India Pakistan Sri Lanka Central Asia & Caucasus: Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia Uzbekistan Kazakhstan Africa: Egypt Europe: Cyprus Greece Turkey For Etihad, the busiest short-haul routes last year were those between Abu Dhabi and Delhi, Mumbai, Cairo, Jeddah and Karachi, according to data consolidated by AvBench. While the new Disneyland is many years away, it's worth looking at what Etihad has been doing recently in terms of new routes. Last November, the airline introduced 10 new routes from Abu Dhabi to Atlanta, Hong Kong, Algiers, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Krabi, Phnom Penh, Taipei Tunis, and Medan. While 7 out of the 10 new destinations Etihad was launching were in Asia, it was surprising that India wasn't on the list. Later, the airline mentioned that the announcement of 10 new routes was a testament to its recent success in India, despite no Indian destinations being added to the list. The airline had highlighted that Atlanta has a huge Indian market. According to Arik De, the airline's chief commercial officer , Etihad has seen 110% capacity growth in India since 2023.
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Disney's Abu Dhabi theme park teaser long on glitz but short on details
Disney previewed its new Abu Dhabi theme park this week with all the glitz of a Hollywood premiere but frustratingly few details of what visitors can expect. Disneyland Abu Dhabi - set to open in the 'early 2030s' - will be the 'most advanced and interactive' destination in its portfolio, the company said. But concept art at the unveiling was deliberately blurry to keep fans guessing about what it will actually contain. Disney is famous for keeping fans on the edge of their seats - and this week's announcement was no exception. Celebrities, including Naomi Campbell and Gossip Girl's Ed Westwick, looked on as superstar pianist Lang Lang played classic Disney tunes accompanied by a 100-piece orchestra floating on a pontoon on the Arabian Gulf. Overhead, more than 9,000 drones formed the shape of Cinderella's Castle. Disney said the park will be the 'most advanced and interactive destination in our portfolio' and the concept art shows how far it may go to cast a powerful spell. But one landmark that stuck out was the centerpiece castle, with a similar style to Elsa's ice palace from Frozen. The shimmering structure is Disney's first castle not based on a classic fairytale and it suggests that a Frozen ride could be hidden underneath its icy turrets. And that's just the start. Hidden in the background of the concept art is a tall orange tower with a curve which looks like a ski slope stretching from the top. It could be a groundbreaking attraction which was originally planned for Disneyland Paris and would see the ride car rocket up the tower before gliding down the slope. The ride was based on the stories of Jules Verne which are also the setting for a land in Tokyo DisneySea, widely considered to be the world's most immersive theme park. It could be joined by Disney's Florida-favorite roller-coaster, Expedition Everest, as a mountain looking like it is tucked away in the corner of the concept art. Disneyland Abu Dhabi is The Mouse's first waterfront park and it appears to extend right onto the beach and beyond, with craggy artificial rocks creating a harbor-like area in the sea. It's clearly not for cruise ships but could well be for a groundbreaking version of classic Disney ride Pirates of the Caribbean with boats which actually float out onto the ocean. Aladdin will almost certainly feature in the line-up of rides, as Disney's live-action remake of the classic cartoon is the highest-grossing movie in the Middle East. It explains why the actress who plays Princess Jasmine in the Broadway version of Aladdin belted out A Whole New World at the extravaganza to announce the new Disney park. A feelgood video of scenes from Disney movies was also part of the celebration, with one of the most prominent moments showing Marvel super hero Iron Man zooming through the night sky. There may be good reason this was included. Disney's theme parks are designed by its Imagineers whose name comes from their imaginative use of engineering. There are more than a thousand of them around the world and one of the leading lights behind Disneyland Abu Dhabi is Zach Riddley, who led the recent redevelopment of the futuristic Epcot park at Disney World in Florida. That involved building Disney World's first Marvel ride - a groundbreaking, spinning roller-coaster based on the smash hit Guardians Of The Galaxy movies. Called Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, it features Hollywood A-Listers Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista who set the scene on screens before the ride begins. With this man behind the wheel, it's very likely a Marvel land in Abu Dhabi is to be joined by one themed to Star Wars, which also featured in the video promoting the new park. The Star Wars lands at Disney World and its counterpart Disneyland in California cost an estimated $1 billion to develop, but money is no object for Disneyland Abu Dhabi as it will be built and developed by Miral, the local government's theme park operator. It is part of a strategy to diversify Abu Dhabi's economy with leisure attractions due to its declining oil reserves. Abu Dhabi is already home to SeaWorld, Warner Bros and Ferrari theme parks which all sit on the man-made Yas Island where Disneyland will be built. The more visitors it gets, the greater the boost to Abu Dhabi's economy which is why the park needs to be spellbinding. Due to the extreme heat in Abu Dhabi, where daytime summer temperatures can hit 45 degrees, expect lots of shady foliage and indoor rides throughout the park. A jungle-like setting would be about as escapist as you can get in a region famous for its deserts. Disney's Imagineers will have a high mark to beat - theming is common across the region. It is seen as a way of driving traffic to a business with opulent restaurants, shopping malls, hotels and shops all featuring high standards of theming. It will take more than the wave of a magic wand to make a splash in Abu if anyone can do it it's Disney. Speaking to Corina Goetz, a Middle East Specialist who focuses on helping companies and entrepreneurs understand the nuances of the Gulf market, explained guests at the new park will need to be careful with their attire... The specialist said that 'dress codes for visitors would likely reflect local norms.' She added: 'While foreign visitors will not be expected to wear traditional clothing, they should follow local rules in regards to revealing clothing. 'Disneyland parks in other conservative countries already enforce respectful dress codes, so this would not be unprecedented.' On the Disneyland Resort website, visitors are told to 'dress comfortably, wear good walking shoes and check the local weather report before you leave for the parks.' The statements adds: 'Ensuring that the parks are family friendly is an important part of the Disney experience. In that spirit, we ask you to use your discretion and common sense. 'Attire that is not appropriate for the theme parks (and which may result in refusal of admittance or ejection) includes but is not limited to: Clothing with objectionable material, including obscene language or graphics. 'Clothing which, by nature, exposes excessive portions of the skin that may be viewed as inappropriate for a family environment, clothing with multiple layers are subject to search upon entry. 'Visible tattoos that could be considered inappropriate, such as those containing objectionable language or designs, bare feet.'
