Morocco leads Maghreb energy transition

11 July 2023

More on Moroccos power and water sector:

Morocco seeks firms for 400MW pumped storage contract
> Morocco extends Casablanca water PPP deadline
US firm plans 2MW Morocco hydrogen project
China's Tinci plans $280m Morocco lithium-ion plant
> Xlinks to seek construction partners
> Morocco signs $6.4bn electric battery and storage deal
Morocco tenders 900MW power plant contract

 


Morocco is among the list of Maghreb countries that have seen few deals awarded in the power generation sector over the past 12 to 24 months.

The last contract awards it recorded were in April 2022 for the 333MW first phase of the Noor 2 solar photovoltaic (PV) project.

The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) and Morocco’s Energy Transition & Sustainable Development Ministry awarded six packages of this tranche to three independent power producer (IPP) developers: Voltalia Maroc, Enel Green Power Morocco and the UAE-based Amea Power.

Xlinks scheme

The country, however, could emerge from the doldrums with key projects such as the $18bn Xlinks on the horizon, enabling it to hold on to its status as the regional leader in renewable energy.

The Morocco-UK power project entails building 10,500MW solar and wind farms in Morocco’s Guelmim-Oued Noun region and sending 3,600MW a day of energy exclusively to the UK via four 3,800-kilometre high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) cables.

MEED understands the first phase of the surveys for the project is complete, with geophysical and geotechnical surveys expected to finish this year and next year.

The HVDC pipeline will pass through Spain, Portugal and France, where permitting processes are being undertaken. Financing sources could include export credit agencies, multilateral development agencies and commercial or investment banks.

Morocco aims to source up to 52 per cent of its energy – up from the current 32 per cent – from renewable sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45.5 per cent by 2030 

Earlier this year, Xlinks completed an early development funding round that included a $30.7m investment from Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and $6.23m from London-headquartered Octopus Energy Group.  

The UK-based startup is expected to seek interest from original equipment manufacturers and construction partners soon. This will be followed by seeking interest from financial advisers for the project.

Low-carbon molecules

Morocco aims to source up to 52 per cent of its energy – up from the current 32 per cent – from renewable sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45.5 per cent by 2030.

Thanks to the country’s strategic location and favourable legislative framework, this ambition is drawing investors focused on green hydrogen and derivatives production.

In April, a team led by China Energy International Construction Group signed a memorandum of cooperation to develop a green hydrogen project in a coastal area in southern Morocco.

The planned project involves constructing an integrated green hydrogen-based ammonia production facility. It will require a solar PV power generation plant with a capacity of 2GW and a wind power plant with a capacity of 4GW.

These plants will supply power to an electrolysis plant that can produce 320,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, which will then be processed to produce 1.4 million tonnes of green ammonia annually.

Energy China International Construction Group has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Ajlan & Brothers Company and the local firm Gaia Energy Company for the project.

Amun project

It is the second high-profile green hydrogen project announced for the North African country since April 2022, when Serbia-headquartered renewables developer and investor CWP Global appointed US firm Bechtel to support developing large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia facilities in the country.

The Amun green hydrogen project, which CWP Global plans to develop in Morocco, is understood to require 15GW of renewable energy and has an estimated budget of between $18bn and $20bn.

Along with these projects – which could take several years to implement – several green hydrogen pilot projects are also under way in Morocco.

Africa-focused transitional energy group Chariot, the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and UK-based hydrogen electrolyser developer Oort Energy are planning several small projects using a polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyser system patented by Oort.

The three parties will run initial proof of concept projects while evaluating the feasibility of implementing large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production.

One of the pilot projects is intended to be hosted at the research and development unit at state-owned fertiliser producer OCP Group’s facilities in Jorf Lasfar.

US-headquartered Verde Hydrogen also plans to develop and commission a 2MW green hydrogen electrolyser plant project in Morocco, which it expects to complete next year.

Electric vehicle components

Recent developments also point to Morocco potentially becoming a global hotspot for the electric vehicles supply chain.

In July this year, China’s Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology announced plans to build a lithium-ion battery materials plant in the country. The project capitalises on Morocco’s ample phosphorite ore resources.

The firm’s Singapore unit is expected to invest as much as $280m to set up a project company in the North African country to produce lithium-ion battery materials that can be exported to Europe.

In late May, the Moroccan government and Chinese-European company Gotion High-Tech also signed a preliminary agreement to establish a factory to produce electric car batteries and energy storage systems in the country.

The project is estimated to cost MD65bn ($6.3bn). The planned facility will have the potential to “create a comprehensive battery production solution” with a capacity of 100GW a year. 

Morocco’s minister-delegate in charge of investment, convergence and evaluation of public policies, Mohcine Jazouli, said the factory “will not only contribute to Morocco’s renewable energy and electric transport sector, but also solidify its reputation as an automotive industry powerhouse”.

Traditional energy

Meanwhile, along with its intense drive towards clean energy, Rabat is also making progress on traditional energy projects. The National Office of Electricity & Drinking Water (Onee) last awarded a thermal power plant deal in 2017. So it was a surprise when Onee recently tendered a five-year contract to build and operate an open-cycle 900MW thermal power plant in the country.

To be located along the M18 station point of the Maghreb-to-Europe gas pipeline, the proposed power generation plant will use dual-fuel gas turbines, with diesel fuel as a backup. Onee expects to receive bids for the contract by 5 September.

In addition, the procurement process is under way for a major seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant in Grand Casablanca, which has a design capacity of 548,000 cubic metres a day.

The build-operate-transfer contract is for 30 years, including a three-year construction period and 27 years of operation and management.

Making amends

To its credit, however, Morocco’s sustainable campaign has extended to other sectors that have traditionally used carbon-intensive processes and technologies.

The Washington-based International Finance Corporation (IFC) and OCP Group recently signed a €100m ($111m) green loan to build four solar plants to power OCP’s Morocco operations.

The four solar plants, with a combined capacity of 202MW, will be located in the mining towns of Benguerir and Khouribga, home to Morocco’s largest phosphate reserves.

As captive power plants, they will supply clean energy directly to OCP’s operations. The project is part of OCP’s $13bn green investment programme, which aims to increase its green fertiliser production and transition its operations to green energy by 2030.


More on Libya and Tunisia’s power and water sectors:

Libya awards $1.3bn power plant contract
Italy and Tunisia start $1bn Elmed prequalifications
Acciona and Swicorp to develop 75MW wind project
Suez signs $221m Tunisia wastewater PPP deal
Tunisia tenders 1GW of solar IPP contracts


Libya and Tunisia

Earlier this year, the state-owned General Electricity Company of Libya (Gecol) awarded a joint venture of Qatar-based construction company Urbacon for Trading & Contracting and Egypt’s ElSewedy Electric an engineering, procurement and construction contract for a 1,044MW gas-fired power plant in Libya.

The contract is valued at €1.19bn ($1.29bn). The project is expected to be completed in 26 months and comprises six gas turbines from Germany’s Siemens Energy. The emergency power plant project is located in Zliten.

The power plant is expected to help address the endemic electricity shortage in the country. However, it does little to reduce Libya’s carbon emissions. At under 10MW, the country has the lowest renewable energy installed capacity in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, against a total capacity of 11,000MW as of 2021, according to International Renewable Energy Agency data.

Tunisia, where renewable sources account for at least 8 per cent of its power generation capacity, has also made minor progress over the past few months.

A team of Spain’s Acciona and Saudi investment group Swicorp have partnered to develop a 75MW wind farm in Chenini in Tunisia’s Tataouine governorate.

The Spanish-Saudi team is understood to have agreed to the technical and financial terms of the project, as well as the land lease for installing 14 wind turbines in Djebel Dahar, located 80 kilometres from Djerba.

Each wind turbine will have a capacity of 6MW. The project will require an estimated investment of TD500m ($164m).

Tunisia’s wind potential is estimated at 8,000MW, according to its wind atlas and a study published in 2021 by the German international cooperation agency Giz.

In January this year, the African Development Bank Group approved a $27m and €10m ($10.67m) loan package to co-finance the construction of a 100MW solar power plant in Kairouan, Tunisia.

The approval covers $10m and another €10m from the bank, and a $17m concessional financing from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, a special multi-donor fund managed by the bank.

Additional financing will come from the IFC, the World Bank Group and the Clean Technology Fund (CTF).

The 100MW Kairouan project was part of the first round of solar schemes under Tunisia’s concession regime, launched through an international tender by the Ministry of Industry, SMEs & Cooperatives in 2018.

A consortium formed by Dubai-headquartered Amea Power and TBEA Xinjiang New Energy Company won the contract to develop the scheme in December 2019.

The project is located in El-Metbassta, in the Kairouan North region, about 150km south of the capital, Tunis.


More on Algeria’s power and water sectors:

Sonatrach seeks solar PV consultants
Cosider tenders desalination contract
Sonelgaz tenders 2GW solar schemes
Wetico wins Algeria water desalination contracts


Algeria

Despite a highly tentative approach to adopting low-carbon energy, there are some promising projects in Algeria.

In March, state-owned utility Sonelgaz invited companies to bid for the contract to build 15 solar plants in the country with a combined capacity of 2,000MW.

The solar projects will be built in 11 locations across the North African state.

The locations and capacities of the proposed solar power plants include:

  • Bechar (Abadla): 80MW
  • Bechar (Kenadsa): 120MW
  • Msila (Batmete): 220MW
  • Bordj Bou Arreridj (Ras al-Oued): 80MW
  • Batna (Merouana): 80MW
  • Laghouat: 200MW
  • Ghardaia (Guerrara): 80MW
  • Tiaret (Frenda): 80MW
  • El-Oued (Nakhla): 200MW
  • El-Oued (Taleb Larbi): 80MW
  • Touggort: 130MW
  • Mghaier: 220MW
  • Biskra (Leghrous): 200MW
  • Biskra (Tolga): 80MW
  • Biskra (Khenguet Sidi Nadji): 150MW

In December 2022, Algeria’s Energy Transition & Renewable Energies Ministry (Shaems) also launched a tender to deploy 1,000MW of solar capacity. However, the status of the tender is unclear as of mid-2023.

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/10991889/main4537.jpg
Jennifer Aguinaldo
Related Articles
  • Soudah Peaks outlines project construction plans

    3 July 2025

     

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Saudi Arabia’s Soudah Development Company (SDC) has outlined plans to tender the upcoming construction work at its Soudah Peaks project in the Aseer region.

    While presenting a webinar hosted by MEED on 3 July, Daniel McBrearty, chief development officer at Soudah Peaks, said: “We have several packages ready to be floated to the market by the end of this year.

    “The most immediate of these is the development of site-wide infrastructure required for the project.

    “The high-voltage electrical infrastructure catering to Soudah Peaks will be tendered by Saudi Electricity Company.”

    This package includes one bulk supply point with a capacity of 380kV /132kV, two primary substations and 142 distribution substations.

    The development will also require 15 water storage tanks and pump stations. The tanks will have a storage capacity of 93,150 cubic metres to cater to an expected demand of about 10,984 cubic metres a day (cm/d).

    A total of 14 sewage treatment plants are also planned, with a total capacity of 10,690 cm/d. The development will require 52 sewage lifting stations.

    The infrastructure package will also cover 24 mobile telecommunications or GSM (global system for mobile communications) towers and the relocation of eight existing GSM towers, as well as a package for the drainage culvert.

    SDC began the project procurement process in May when it floated a tender to bid for a contract to develop an employee housing package that will be developed using a design, build, finance, operate and maintain model.

    The tendering timelines are:

    • WP1 Zone 1 Tahlal Town Centre: May 2026
    • WP2 Zone 1 Tahlal Ridge: August 2026
    • WP3 Zone 1,2,3,6 Tahlal residential, Sahab, Sabrah and Redrock: June 2026
    • WP4 Zone 5 Rijal: April 2026
    • WP5 Site-wide infrastructure: December 2025
    • General Contractor: Floated in May 2025
    • Contractor Workforce Housing: Floated in March 2025
      Six development zones

      “The overall masterplan covers an area of more than 635 square kilometres and consists of six development zones: Tahlal, Sahab, Sabrah, Jareen, Rijal and Red Rock,” McBrearty said.

      Tahlal offers a mix of residential, hospitality, heritage and retail facilities, along with an 18-hole golf course and the Watan Am-Soudah heritage village.

      Sahab will be an international destination for adventure sports and recreation. It will provide views across the valley and within the rolling plateau landscape.

      Sabrah provides a luxury residential destination supported by high-end hospitality. The development is integrated within the contours and is provided within a natural open space context.

      Rijal will be a hospitality destination with integrated views through to the Rijal Cultural Village. The development is built around the existing development, which gives the village its character.

      The Red Rock zone will offer luxury hospitality, with mansions and glamping camps set within the national park.

      Jareen offers a genuine approach to connecting with nature through authentic experiences within the agricultural landscape.

      Jareen will be developed as part of the third phase, when the infrastructure and connectivity are fully established within the development.

      Three phases

      “The masterplan will be developed in three phases, and the first phase will include the development of five out of the development’s six zones,” McBrearty said.

      The overall development will offer 2,810 hotel rooms, 1,337 residential units and 30 other attractions.

      The first phase will include 940 hotel keys, 391 residential units and 1,025 staff accommodation units.

      The second phase will increase the total to 1,735 hotel rooms, 641 residential units and 2,150 staff accommodation units.

      The final phase will have over 2,810 hotel rooms, 1,337 residential units and 3,022 staff accommodation units.

      We have several packages ready to be floated to the market by the end of this year. The most immediate of these is the development of site-wide infrastructure required for the project
      Daniel McBrearty, Soudah Peaks

      Companies engaged

      In March, SDC appointed US-based engineering firm Aecom as the lead design consultant for the Soudah Peaks development.

      Aecom’s scope of work covers the design work for the first phase of the development.

      Last year, SDC appointed another US-based engineering firm, Parsons Corporation, as the project management consultant for the development.

      Parsons’ scope of work includes project management and site supervision services for the six development zones.

      Project background

      Soudah Peaks is a mountain tourism destination set 3,015 metres above sea level on the country’s highest peak in the Aseer region.

      The project masterplan was formally launched in September 2023 by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al-Saud.

      Speaking at the launch, he said: “Soudah Peaks will be a significant addition to the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia and place the kingdom on the global tourism map while highlighting and celebrating the country’s rich culture and heritage.” 

      Launched in 2021, SDC is wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth vehicle, the Public Investment Fund.

      An investment of SR11bn ($3bn) has been planned to develop tourism infrastructure and attractions in the Aseer region in the southwest of the kingdom.

      SDC intends to partner with the local community and private sector to develop hospitality, residential, commercial and entertainment offerings that will attract more than 2 million visitors a year, creating 8,000 direct and indirect permanent jobs by 2030.

      Aseer region seeks new investments for Saudi Arabia

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14194455/main.jpg
      Yasir Iqbal
    • Read the July 2025 MEED Business Review

      3 July 2025

      Download / Subscribe / 14-day trial access

      The UAE’s investments in Turkiye, along with the contracts won by Turkish firms in the UAE, highlight the mutual opportunities available to both countries.

      Turkiye is already the UAE’s fourth-largest non-oil trading partner, rising from seventh place in 2021. Last year, non-oil trade between the UAE and Turkiye grew by 11.5%, reaching $40.5bn.

      With this momentum set to continue, MEED's latest issue takes an in-depth look at the growing trade relationship between the two countries

      In our 10-page opening Agenda section, MEED editor Colin Foreman speaks exclusively to the president of the investment and finance office of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye, Burak Daglioglu, about bilateral investment; and talks to Kalyon Holding CEO Mustafa Kocar about the construction firm’s new focus on the Middle East. 

      There are also interviews with DenizBank CEO Recep Bastug, on the strengthening financial links, and with the vice-president of sales at Turkish Airlines, Erol Senol, on the airline’s plans for further growth. 

      This month’s Levant market focus covers Jordan, Lebanon and Syria and finds all three countries working to recover from recent events beyond their control.

      MEED's latest issue also includes a comprehensive GCC real estate report, covering all six markets in detail. While growth is continuing, the sector is showing signs of facing a more nuanced reality due to economic slowdown, regional tensions, oversupply risks and delivery constraints. Read more here.

      We hope our valued subscribers enjoy the July 2025 issue of MEED Business Review

       

      Must-read sections in the July 2025 issue of MEED Business Review include:

      AGENDA: 
      UAE-Turkiye trade gains momentum

      > Building on UAE-Turkiye trade
      > Turkiye's Kalyon goes global
      > Strengthening UAE-Turkiye financial links
      > Turkish Airlines plans further growth

      > CURRENT AFFAIRS:
      > Middle East tensions could reduce gas investments

      INDUSTRY REPORT:
      GCC real estate 
      GCC real estate faces a more nuanced reality

      > PROJECTS: GCC projects market collapses

      > INTERVIEW: Hassan Allam eyes role in Saudi Arabia’s transformation  

      > INTERVIEW: Aseer region seeks new investments for Saudi Arabia

      > LEADERSHIP: Nuclear power makes a global comeback

      > LEVANT MARKET REPORT: 
      > COMMENT: Levant states wrestle regional pressures
      > ECONOMY: Jordan economy nears inflection point
      > GAS: Jordan pushes ahead with gas plans 

      > POWER & WATER: Record-breaking year for Jordan’s water sector
      > CONSTRUCTION: PPP schemes to drive Jordan construction
      > DATABANK: Jordan’s economy holds pace, for now

      > ECONOMY: Lebanon’s outlook remains fraught
      > RECONSTRUCTION: Who will fund Syria’s $1tn rebuild?

      MEED COMMENTS: 
      > Dubai's tall towers reach new heights

      > Contractors return to Palm Jebel Ali
      > Nuclear U-turn is an opportunity
      > Adnoc pursues global gas ambition

      > GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Gulf projects index continues climb

      > MAY 2025 CONTRACTS: Mena contract award activity remains subdued

      > ECONOMIC DATA: Data drives regional projects

      > OPINIONA farcical tragedy that no one can end

      BUSINESS OUTLOOK: Finance, oil and gas, construction, power and water contracts

      To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14193655/main.gif
      MEED Editorial
    • Algeria plans to expand fertiliser plant

      3 July 2025

       

      Algeria’s national oil and gas company Sonatrach is developing a project that will expand the country’s fertiliser plant located in Arzew, according to industry sources.

      Sonatrach has not publicly said when it expects to issue the invitation to bid for the main contract for the project.

      The original $2.4bn contract to develop the Arzew Fertiliser Complex was executed by a joint venture of South Korea’s Daewoo E&C and Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation.

      The joint venture won the contract in April 2008 and completed the facility in April 2013.

      The fertiliser production complex was built in the Arzew industrial zone near Oran, on the Mediterranean coast.

      It produces ammonia from natural gas, and almost all of the ammonia output is converted to urea for producing granular urea to be used as fertiliser.

      The complex includes two ammonia production units, each with a capacity of 2,000 tonnes a day (t/d).

      It also includes two urea production units, each with a capacity of 3,500 t/d, as well as granulation plants and supporting facilities.

      Sonatrach is currently trying to boost Algeria’s capacity to produce fertilisers.

      In December, a total of six companies were shortlisted as part of the tender process for another fertiliser project in Algeria’s Annaba region, according to information released by the Industrial Group for Fertilisers & Phytosanitary Products (Asmidal).

      Asmidal is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sonatrach.

      The scope of the contract being tendered included preparing a front-end engineering and design (feed) study for a project to create a fertilisers, food phosphates and derivatives complex.

      The project is expected to be worth about $1bn.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14192053/main.jpg
      Wil Crisp
    • Kuwait extends bid deadlines for projects worth $1.57bn

      3 July 2025

      State-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has extended the bid deadlines for four strategic oil projects worth a total of $1.57bn.

      The first contract, estimated to be worth KD292m ($951m), is focused on developing a separation facility in the NK SA/BA Area, close to Gathering Centre 23 (GC-23) and GC-24.

      The scope of the contract also includes a new injection facility at GC-31 and effluent water injection networks in north Kuwait.

      The project’s latest bid deadline has been set for 22 July.

      The second contract is to develop the planned Mutriba remote boosting facility in northwest Kuwait.

      It was originally tendered earlier this year with a bid submission deadline of 29 June. The deadline has now been extended to 27 July 2025.

      The project has an estimated budget of about KD130m ($420m) and its scope includes:

      • Development of the Mutriba oil field
      • Installation of the degassing station
      • Installation of manifolds
      • Installation of condensate facilities
      • Installation of wellhead separation units
      • Installation of the pumping system
      • Installation of wellhead facilities
      • Installation of oil and gas treatment plants
      • Installation of a natural gas liquid plant
      • Installation of a water and gas injection plant
      • Construction of associated utilities and facilities

      The onshore Mutriba oil field is located in northwest Kuwait.

      In October 2024, KOC announced that it was preparing to tender a project management contract for a scheme to develop the field.

      At the time, it said four international companies had been invited to participate in the tender process. These were:

      • Schlumberger (US)
      • Halliburton (US)
      • Baker Hughes (US)
      • Weatherford International (US)

      KOC also said that the list of qualified companies could be extended before the invitation to bid was issued.

      The third project, estimated to be worth $100m, is for an effluent water injection network in north Kuwait.

      Effluent water injection or water flooding is a secondary hydrocarbons recovery technique where produced water is injected into a well’s formation under high pressure and temperature conditions to recover more of the oil initially in place.

      The bid deadline has been extended from 24 June to 22 July 2025.

      The fourth project is estimated to be worth around $100m and is focused on the construction of a new injection network in north Kuwait that will service the Sabriyah/Bahra (SA/BA) area.

      Its bid deadline has also been extended from 24 June to 22 July 2025.

      Kuwait is in the middle of an upstream projects push, in line with its goal of producing 4 million barrels a day of oil by 2035.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14192034/main.jpg
      Wil Crisp
    • Miral tenders Harry Potter attraction in Abu Dhabi

      3 July 2025

       

      Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

      Abu Dhabi’s Miral has started the procurement process for the contract to build the Harry Potter-themed expansion to the Warner Bros World Yas Island entertainment destination in Abu Dhabi.

      According to sources close to the project, the tender for the estimated AED2bn-AED3bn ($545m-$816m) main construction works has been issued to contractors, with bids due in July.

      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, and food and beverage outlets.

      The enabling works on the project have begun and are being undertaken by the local firm NSCC International. Another local firm, Emirates Electrical & Instrumentation Company, is undertaking the early works on the project.

      Canadian engineering firm Ellisdon is the project consultant.

      Responding to a request for a comment, Miral said relevant project updates would be shared in due course. “Miral does not comment on speculative and inaccurate information from unknown sources,” the developer said.

      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 and has worked with several local and international contracting companies.

      On 1 July, Miral opened the 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 grow visitor capacity by 20%.

      The construction was carried out by the 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 it 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 highlighted 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 the largest global airline hub in the world, 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, and dining and retail experiences.

      Abu Dhabi hopes bigger is better with Disney theme park

      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.


      Miral has developed a series of theme parks and other entertainment-related attractions on Yas Island 


      Other Miral projects have included the Etihad Arena and the indoor climbing and skydive centre Clymb. Bam 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.

      https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14186919/main.jpg
      Yasir Iqbal