Construction is well underway on a $1bn Warner Bros. indoor theme park and hotel that is set to open on Yas Island in 2018.
Rides and attractions will be themed on the studio’s DC Comics super heroes including Batman, Superman and Wonder Women as well as cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo and Tom and Jerry.
Guests of all ages will be able to step inside Gotham City and Metropolis, and experience the cartoon worlds of Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and more, all under one roof, a statement said.
Located alongside Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld, the themepark will help Yas Island take its annual visitor tally from 25 million in 2015, to 30 million in 2018, reinforcing Yas Island’s leading position as home to ultimate leisure and entertainment experiences.
The project is a venture between Abu Dhabi’s Miral Asset Management and Warner Bros.
His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Miral, said: “It is incredibly exciting to announce that we are bringing the iconic Warner Bros. brand to Yas Island. Miral’s investment in the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi theme park is estimated at 1 billion dollars and is a milestone in the emirate’s journey to put Abu Dhabi on the global map and become one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.
“By meeting the global, regional and local demand for a world-class entertainment destination, supported by an equally world-class travel and tourism infrastructure, we are fulfilling our ambition to drive visitor numbers and enrich the UAE’s appeal as a truly international destination that appeals to both residents and travelling guests. Miral is central to this development with a number of significant and exciting projects in the pipeline.”
Plans for a Warner Bros theme park involving Abu Dhabi developer Aldar were first announced in 2007 but were subsequently shelved due to the financial crisis.