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Miral moves Harry Potter theme park bid deadline

29 July 2025

 

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Abu Dhabi’s Miral has extended the bid submission deadline for a tender to build a Harry Potter-themed expansion at the Warner Bros World Yas Island entertainment destination in Abu Dhabi.

Earlier this month, MEED exclusively reported that the tender for the estimated AED2bn-AED3bn ($545m-$816m) main construction works had been issued to contractors, with bids initially due on 28 July.

Miral has extended the bid submission deadline until 4 August, according to sources.

The scope of the Warner Bros World phase two expansion includes adding 40,000 square metres (sq m) to the existing theme park. This will include a Harry Potter-themed zone with three new rides, retail outlets, and food and beverage facilities.

Enabling works for the project have begun and are being undertaken by local firm NSCC International. Another local firm, Emirates Electrical & Instrumentation Company, is carrying out the early works.

Canadian engineering firm EllisDon is the project consultant, and French firm Egis is the lead designer.

According to media reports, the Abu Dhabi project will be the world’s sixth Harry Potter-themed park. The others are in Florida and California in the US, Beijing in China, Osaka in Japan and Leavesden in the UK.

The Abu Dhabi project was first announced in November 2022.

Yas Waterworld

Miral has developed a series of theme parks and other entertainment-related attractions on Yas Island, working with several local and international contractors.

On 1 July, Miral opened a new 16,900 sq m expansion of its Yas Waterworld park to the public.

The expansion added 3.3 kilometres of slide sections to the park. The addition of 18 new rides and attractions, bringing the total number of rides to more than 60, is expected to increase visitor capacity by 20%.

Construction was carried out by local contractor Alec.

Disney park

In May, The Walt Disney Company and Miral signed an agreement to build a Disney theme park resort on Yas Island.

Disney, which is based in the US, said the Abu Dhabi site will be its seventh theme park resort. The others are in California and Florida in the US, Paris in France, Hong Kong and Shanghai in China, and Tokyo in Japan.

In a statement, Disney noted that the UAE is located within a four-hour flight of one-third of the world’s population, making it a significant gateway for tourism. It is also home to one of the world's busiest airline hubs, with 120 million passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year.

The Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi will include entertainment areas, themed accommodations, dining venues and retail experiences.

In 2023, Miral opened SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, also on Yas Island. Alec was the contractor for the estimated $565m project.

In 2018, Miral opened the Warner Bros theme park on Yas Island. Belgium’s Besix was the contractor for the estimated $531m project.

Other Miral projects have included the Etihad Arena and the indoor climbing and skydive centre Clymb. Bam International of the Netherlands was the contractor for the arena and Germany’s Zublin was the contractor for Clymb.

Yas Island was launched as a project in 2006 by local developer Aldar Properties. The original centrepiece attractions were the Yas Marina Circuit, which hosts Formula 1 motor racing’s annual Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the Ferrari World theme park.

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Yasir Iqbal

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