Disneyland Abu Dhabi set to be a 'modern castle with distinct Emirati touch'

Walt Disney is set to open the Middle East's first Disneyland on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, it was announced on Wednesday.

- Hind Aldah

Disney will work with Abu Dhabi-based Miral Group, which will build and operate the park.

The project, branded as 'Disneyland Abu Dhabi', marks the first Disney theme park in the Middle East and Disney's seventh globally, following its parks in California, Florida, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai. This will be Disney's 13th park and resort, with the last one opening in Shanghai, China in 2016. Although still in its early stages, here is what we know about the iconic Disney Park that will be built in the UAE:

When will Disneyland Abu Dhabi open?

Perhaps the most pressing question is when we will see the opening of the iconic Disney theme park. Although no opening date has been confirmed, Bloomberg reported that the chairman of Disney Parks, John D'Amaro, said the designing stage will take around two years, while the actual construction can take around five to six years. Currently, Disney is in the process of designing the resort, and if all falls into plan, we could see a Disneyland in the UAE by 2032 or 2033.