Miral plans to invest more than AED 12 billion in Yas Island over the next five years, expanding its attractions, theme parks and hospitality capacity. The program is separate from the previously announced Disney development and is expected to increase the island’s hotel room supply by approximately 30–35%.
Original article: Yas Island gets Dh12 billion investment for new rides, attractions and hotels by Gulf News.
Key Insights:
AED 12 Billion Allocated to Tourism and Hospitality
The five-year investment program will cover new immersive rides and visitor experiences, expansions of existing theme parks and upgrades across Yas Island’s leisure offering.
Hospitality will also form a significant part of the investment, with Miral planning additional hotel rooms and upgrades to existing accommodation. Overall room capacity on Yas Island is expected to increase by approximately 30–35% over the next five years.
Miral has not disclosed the exact number of new attractions or hotel rooms planned, or provided details on the individual projects within the investment pipeline.
Investment Is Separate From the Disney Development
Miral confirmed that the AED 12 billion-plus investment program is separate from the Disney theme park and resort previously announced for Yas Island.
The spending will instead focus on expanding the island’s existing leisure, entertainment and hospitality infrastructure while introducing additional visitor experiences.
This means the AED 12 billion represents additional investment in Yas Island’s development pipeline beyond the previously announced Disney project.
Hotel Occupancy Reached 92% in August
The investment announcement comes alongside strong visitor and hospitality activity on Yas Island. Miral reported hotel occupancy of 92% in August, making it one of the destination’s busiest months on record.
Annual pass sales also increased by 20% year over year despite Miral intentionally limiting sales during the year.
India remains one of the destination’s most important international markets. Miral welcomed one million visitors from India in 2025, with visitor numbers from the country growing by approximately 20–25% year over year.
Yas Island Prepares for Further Expansion
Yas Island already brings together major entertainment and cultural destinations within a relatively compact area, supported by its proximity to Zayed International Airport.
The planned AED 12 billion-plus investment will add further attractions and substantially increase hotel capacity over the next five years, alongside the separately planned Disney development.
For the surrounding property market, the scale of development is worth watching as Yas Island continues to expand as a tourism and hospitality destination. However, Miral has not provided forecasts for how the investment could affect local property prices or demand.
