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Brand-New Disney Theme Parks & Resort | Abu Dhabi, UAE

I'm honestly kinda surprised that most of the concern has been about LGBTQ+ rights related stuff, and not the labour related stuff? I mean, especially with the ultra tight schedule, can we start putting bets on how many slaves migrant workers are gonna die building this park yet?

Like what was said above, corporations aren't your friends. They're (usually, a non-public company could have morals theoretically) there for the sole purpose of increasing profit for shareholders (which often also causes their downfall in theme parks for instance, where downsizing costs often leads to less attendance loop) and any moves they do signalling them as queer friendly is just BS advertising stuff. There's a reason "July first" company logos are a meme. I don't understand why anybody would have a particularly fond view of DISNEY (Outside of enjoying their products) as a company of all companies, given how crap they already treat their employees and how much they game the copyright system, etc etc etc etc.
 
A timeline of the development, judge as you will.
Disneyland Abu Dhabi Was Nearly A Decade In The Making, Quickly Greenlit Following Iger’s Return as CEO
Disney CEO Bob Iger said that an Abu Dhabi theme park has been in Disney’s sights for 7-8 years, but that the most recent plans were developed relatively quickly. Iger says that he has visited Abu Dhabi three times in the past nine months.

Here’s the timeline that Iger discussed.
2017
Iger said he started to explore the region in about 2017 or 2018. Iger said that he sent some Disney representatives to the region, saying that it was time that Disney began to learn more.

2020
In February 2020, then Parks Chairman Bob Chapek was named CEO as Iger stepped down. Iger didn’t say that this move killed the Abu Dhabi plans, but it doesn’t sound like anything really happened during Chapek’s time as CEO. To an extent, that would make sense given that Chapek was likely intently focused on managing the COVID-19 crisis.

November 2022
Bob Iger returns to Disney, replacing Bob Chapek as CEO. Sometime after Iger returned, executives from Miral came to Burbank, California to make an “impassioned plea” to Iger and D’Amaro. Iger called the pitch “very impressive”.

September 2024
Iger and D’Amaro made a trip to Abu Dhabi. Iger said that he and D’Amaro were “very impressed” and started to get excited about the concept. Iger said that they started to draw out some sketches on the plane, visualizing what the theme park could be.

February 2024
Iger and D’Amaro returned to Abu Dhabi following discussions with partners and consulting heavily with the Disney Board of Directors. That began the negotiation phase of the project. Iger said that everything moved quickly from there.

May 2025
Disneyland Abu Dhabi was announced to the public.

I like that this seems to dodge the accusations that "Disney is doing it because they desperately need that cash influx" and "Disney's corporate values were always protecting progressive values until recently". Disney saw the potential, they were convinced at the right time by the right players, and now it seems like this is a financially safe venture.
 
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