Disney will open theme park in Middle East
Listen to the story (British accent)
The Walt Disney Company has announced it will open its first theme park in the Middle East. The new park will be in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Yas Island.
Yas Island is close to the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Disney will work with a local company called Miral to build the park. Miral wants Yas Island to become a tourist destination. Miral already operates places like SeaWorld and Warner Bros World there. Miral is also adding a Harry Potter theme park.
Disney already has six theme parks in different parts of the world, including North America, Europe, and Asia. Their newest park opened in Shanghai in 2016. The first Disneyland opened in California in 1955.
Disney said that the UAE is a good place for a new park because hundreds of millions of people live nearby. They can fly there in less than four hours. Disney also said that 120 million travellers use nearby airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai every year.
Robert Iger, the CEO of Disney, said this is an exciting time. He said the park in Abu Dhabi will feel like Disney but also show the spirit of the UAE.
Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, the head of Miral, said that bringing a Disney park to Yas Island is an important step. He believes it will help make the island a top place for entertainment and help the economy grow.
Disney recently shared good financial results. The company earned more money than expected in the first three months of 2025. Their streaming service, Disney+, gained more users, and more people visited Disney parks in the US and booked Disney cruises.
Vocabulary34 words
- Announce
- share information openly; to tell the public; to make a statement; to report; to tell everyone
- Theme park
- A place built for fun, with rides and shows, like Disneyland
- Middle East
- the area from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to Iran
- Local
- related to or connected to a specific/particular place; existing in or belonging to the area that you are talking about; part of or in the city or country you’re talking about
- Tourist
- Someone who visits a place for fun and to learn about it; traveller; visitor in a new city or country
- Tourist destination
- a place where many people go to visit for sightseeing or vacation
- Destination
- the place a person travels to; the place something is sent to; target location; last stop; goal
- Operate
- to manage; run; use; to control or use a machine; conduct
- Add
- To include or put more of something; + plus;
- Part
- a piece of something; a section of a whole thing; not the whole thing
- Including
- together with; as well as; part of a group or many; plus
- Hundreds of millions
- more than 100,000,000 and less than 1,000,000,000
- Nearby
- near; close; not far
- Million
- 1,000,000 = one-million
- Traveller
- a person who is on a trip; a person travelling;
- CEO (Chief Executive officer)
- the top person in a large company; president; boss
- Spirit
- The main feeling or energy of a place or person; vibe; atmosphere; the inner energy or attitude that guides someone's actions, emotions, or beliefs
- Head
- leader, top person, boss
- Step
- an action taken to achieve a goal; a small part of a large goal
- Believe
- to think; to imagine; to have the opinion of; assume; suppose
- Top
- the highest point or rank; the best
- Entertainment
- Things that people enjoy doing, like going to sports games or shows, going to amusement parks, doing karaoke, etc.
- Economy
- all the money and jobs in a country; the system according to which the money, industry, businesses and trade of a country/region are organized; the flow of money between people, businesses and government;
- Grow
- To become bigger or increase in size; become; to get larger;
- Share
- to tell someone or people about something; to make public; to announce; to give to other people
- Financial
- related to finance, money or banking
- Result
- outcome; findings; conclusion; answer;
- Earn
- to get something (usually money) because you worked, sold something, or helped someone; to receive
- Expect
- to think something will happen; forecast; predict; suppose
- Streaming service
- an online platform that allows users to watch videos, movies, or TV shows on demand over the internet (Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, iTunes, etc.)
- Gain
- To get something that you didn't have before; to increase; to add to
- User
- a person who uses something
- Book
- reserve; make an appointment
- Cruise
- A holiday/vacation trip taken on a large ship that visits different places; ?
Quiz
Answer key
1. On Yas Island 2. Miral 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Walt Disney _____ has announced it will open its first theme park in the Middle East. _____ new park will be in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Yas _____ .
Yas Island is close to the _____ of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Disney will work with a local _____ called Miral to build the park. Miral wants Yas Island to _____ a tourist destination. Miral already operates _____ like SeaWorld and Warner Bros World there. Miral is also _____ a Harry Potter theme park.
Disney already has _____ theme parks in different parts of the world, _____ North America, Europe, and Asia. Their newest park opened in Shanghai in _____ . The first Disneyland opened in California in _____ .
Disney said that the UAE is a good place for a _____ park because hundreds of millions of people _____ nearby. They can fly there in less than four _____ . Disney also said that 120 million travellers use nearby airports _____ Abu Dhabi and Dubai every year.
Robert Iger, the CEO of Disney, _____ this is an exciting time. He said the park in Abu Dhabi will _____ like Disney but also show the spirit _____ the UAE.
Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, the _____ of Miral, said that bringing a Disney park to Yas Island is an _____ step. He believes it will help make the island a top place for entertainment and _____ the economy grow.
Disney _____ shared good financial results. The company earned more money than _____ in the first three months of 2025. Their streaming _____ , Disney+, gained more users, and more people _____ Disney parks in the US and booked Disney _____ .
Discussion questions
- Would you like to visit this new Disney park in the UAE in the future? Why or why not?
- Why do you think big global companies like Disney want to open parks in different parts of the world?
- What do you like best about visiting a theme park?
- What theme parks have you visited? Which one was best and why?
- What do you think about the weather in the UAE? Is it comfortable to visit a theme park like Disney in hot temperatures?
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