Miral will put more than Dh12 billion into Yas Island over the next five years, the Abu Dhabi developer announced, funding new attractions, additional hotel rooms, and expanded leisure facilities across the island.
The investment sits within Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030, which targets total visitor numbers of 39.3 million by 2030, up from nearly 24 million in 2023. The strategy also aims to roughly double international overnight visitors, from 3.8 million in 2023 to approximately 7.2 million, and raise hotel room availability from 34,000 to 52,000 over the same period.
Miral said the outlay is separate from the previously announced Disney project on Yas Island.
Harry Potter lands anchor the Warner Bros. World expansion
The most detailed piece of the programme announced so far covers Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. Miral has confirmed three Harry Potter-themed lands, covering Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, and the Forbidden Forest, across approximately 63,000 sqm, with construction targeted for completion in 2029.
According to Miral’s announcement of the Harry Potter-themed lands, the three areas form part of a broader expansion that also includes two previously announced DC attractions, ‘Kryptonite Collider’ and ‘Superman Up and Away’. Together, the additions will increase the park’s overall size by more than 50%, adding around 70,000 sqm of new theme park space.
Miral has also confirmed that Topgolf is coming to Yas Island, described as a sports entertainment destination, as part of the next phase of growth on the island.
Miral Yas Island investment spans hospitality and waterfront
Beyond theme parks, the five-year programme will add hotel rooms and expand the island’s accommodation portfolio. A 560-metre beachfront development at Yas Bay was also announced, intended to extend leisure and lifestyle options at Yas Bay Waterfront, with completion targeted in 2025.
The Yas Waterworld expansion, spanning 13,445 sqm and introducing a Lost City theme with 20 new rides, slides and experiences, opened on 1 July 2025, adding to the island’s existing water park offering ahead of the broader five-year push.
Miral’s record visitation figures for Yas Island and Saadiyat Island in 2024 provided context for the investment scale, with demand across both islands informing the pace of the expansion.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Miral, said Yas Island had become ‘a global success story, demonstrating how world-class experiences contribute to economic growth, enhance quality of life, and strengthen Abu Dhabi’s appeal to audiences from around the world.’
On the next five years, Al Mubarak said Miral remains ‘focused on creating lasting value for residents, visitors and future generations, while contributing to the emirate’s sustainable growth and diversification ambitions.’
Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 projects that the tourism and travel sector will contribute Dh90 billion annually to GDP by 2030, up from approximately Dh49 billion in 2023, and generate an estimated 178,000 new jobs over the same period.
The Warner Bros. World expansion, including the Harry Potter-themed lands, is the next concrete milestone to watch, with construction completion targeted for 2029.
