Yas Island property owners can expect an increase in the value of their homes and in rents when the planned Disney theme park opens in Abu Dhabi.
The park, which was announced on Wednesday, will have a wide-ranging impact on the local economy, especially in the property sector, experts have told The National.
It is expected to lead to a surge in demand for properties on the island and nearby, with the value of villas and apartments going up in tandem.
An increase in the development of luxury homes on Yas Island is also expected.
"The surge in interest from tourists and potential residents will likely drive up demand across various property types, including apartments, villas and commercial spaces," said Nada Osman Jaouhar, Abu Dhabi branch director for property firm Betterhomes. "Consequently, we anticipate higher property values, positioning Yas Island as an even more compelling investment opportunity.
"To accommodate the growing demand, we foresee developers introducing a more diverse range of properties, potentially including more luxury apartments and landmark developments offering varied options for sale and rent. Property owners can also anticipate increased rental yields due to the heightened demand for both short-term and long-term rentals."
The announcement that Disney was coming to Yas Island was made on Wednesday by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), and Disney chief executive Bob Iger at W Abu Dhabi - Yas Island.
The theme park will have a significant impact across a range of sectors, added Ms Jaouhar. "Existing property owners on Yas Island are well-positioned to benefit from increased property values and rental yields," she said.
"Developers with a presence on the island, such as Miral, are also likely to capitalise on the increased demand for properties and the growth in tourism. Furthermore, local businesses, including restaurants, retail outlets and entertainment venues, can expect a rise in customer footfall and revenue."
However, she warned of the risk of saturating the property market on the island.
"One potential challenge could be market saturation," she said. "If the increase in property supply is not carefully managed, it could impact property values and rental yields."
Boost for Abu Dhabi
News of Disney coming to Yas Island came after the emirate of Abu Dhabi was experiencing a significant boost in the value of its properties. Earlier this year, The National reported how Abu Dhabi’s residential sale prices and rents rose in 2024 against a back drop of higher demand and a supply shortage in the emirate.
Home sale prices increased by 11 per cent annually last year, while rents rose 20 per cent, a report by commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield Core found. The same report said Yas Island had made gains of 14 per cent during that period.
"From an estate agent's point of view, the eyes of the world are going to be more on the Emirates, particularly Abu Dhabi and especially Yas Island [with Disney opening a theme park there]," said Mario Volpi, head of brokerage at Novvi Properties.
"Anybody that's already bought there will of course see an uptick [in value]. Disney is a massive, massive brand and it's an affirmation that the Emirates have made enough noise on the world stage to be a destination of choice."
The level of employment the theme park is likely to create will have a major impact across the board, not least in the real estate sector, said another expert. Disney's theme parks each tend to employ several thousand people.
"This is going to bring new jobs to the island and [this many] new jobs obviously create additional demand for residential new housing," said Matthew Green, head of research at real estate company CBRE Mena. "It will have a positive knock-on impact on various parts of the real estate market."
Disney's announcement that it is opening a theme park in Abu Dhabi comes at a time when demand for property at Yas Island is already significant.
Property developer Aldar recorded sales of more than Dh1.4 billion ($381 million) for residential units at a project on the island last September. Prices of units at Yas Riva, which comprises 151 canal-front villas, started from Dh8.3 million and the project sold out within 24 hours of its launch.
It stands to reason, Mr Green said, that Disney will want its staff members living near the theme park, which would mean a substantial increase in those looking to live on Yas Island or nearby.
"Operators tend to want to have their staff within relative proximity. You don't have to be immediately on site, but they generally still want you to be comparatively close," he said.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Blonde
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
