ABU DHABI, (Reuters) – Abu Dhabi hopes the opening of a $1 billion Warner Bros theme park in July will help it in its bid to nearly double the number of tourists visiting the emirate over the next few years.
Oil-rich Abu Dhabi is investing billions of dollars in tourism, industry and infrastructure to diversify its economy away from oil.
It is already home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Ferrari World and the Yas Water Park. Two more museums – the Guggenheim and the Zayed National Museum – are being built as well as a SeaWorld theme park.
The Warner Bros park will be an added attraction, but with neighbouring Dubai already a leading tourist destination and given the huge investment in the theme park, returns may not be immediate.
“The theme park is a long-term play, we have a sustainable business plan,” Mohamed Khalifa al Mubarak, chairman of Miral, the developer, told reporters on Wednesday, adding that Abu Dhabi and Dubai were complimentary destinations with different theme parks.
