A Whole New World

Disney’s next mega-park in Abu Dhabi comes with a surprising financial twist—and Status has learned exclusive details about the deal that the company has kept under wraps, until now.

Author

Oliver Darcy
May 07, 2025

Disney chief Bob Iger. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Variety via Getty Images)

When Disney chief Bob Iger kicked off the company’s second-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, he wasn’t dialing in from Burbank. “I am joining you from the United Arab Emirates,” he said, “where we just announced an agreement to bring a Disney theme park to Abu Dhabi.” Framing the announcement as a “defining moment” in the company’s 101-year history—on par with the opening of Disneyland in 1955—Iger described the new resort as “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati,” a futuristic "oasis" for a region he called “the crossroads of the world.”

The news landed with a global bang, drawing headlines around the world. It marks Disney’s first new theme park destination in more than a decade and introduced a major partnership with the Miral Group, the U.A.E.’s state-backed entertainment company. But one detail was notably absent from the announcement. Iger didn’t mention it when speaking to investors, nor did it appear in the company's official press release.

But I've learned, from multiple people familiar with the matter, that…

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Shari Redstone. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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