On Wednesday, May 7, the company made the announcement that Mickey Mouse will be packing his bags and heading to the United Arab Emirates.
The destination, dubbed Disneyland Abu Dhabi, marks Disney’s seventh global theme park resort location, and its first in the Middle East.
In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Disney CEO Bob Iger said, “This is a thrilling moment for our company.”
"[Disneyland Abu Dhabi] will rise from this land in spectacular fashion, blending contemporary architecture with cutting-edge technology to offer guests deeply immersive entertainment experiences in unique and modern ways."
“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.
Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, will oversee the development and operations of the resort, while Disney’s Imagineers will lead creative design.
While there is no official open date for the park, there are predictions that it will open in the early 2030s, and include one theme park and an unknown number of hotels.
Speaking of the theme park’s new global location, Josh D'Amaro, the chairman of Disney Experiences, told CNN, "There was no question that for our seventh resort, this is where it was going to be."
