New Harry Potter theme park lands set for 2029 debut
Harry Potter and theme park fans have a new reason to look forward to 2029. That's the year that Warner Bros. World on Yas Island has targeted for the opening of its three new Harry Potter-themed lands.
Yas Island developer Miral announced that target date today. The three lands - Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, and the Forbidden Forest - will expand the Warner Bros. World the park by 678,000 square feet and feature all-new, exclusive Harry Potter-themed rides, created especially for the park.
In advance of today's announcement, Miral and Warner Bros. Discovery invited me to interview Miral CEO Dr. Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi and Warner Bros. Discovery President Global Experiences & Studio Operations Simon Robinson about the park's expansion. The interview was conducted via email.
Robinson, left, and Dr. Al Zaabi. Photos courtesy Miral
Robert: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has welcomed fans all over the world to Warner Bros. Studio Tours and Universal theme parks. What opportunities do you see for your teams to develop unique experiences at Warner Bros. World on Yas Island that will entice fans to visit this new area?
Robinson: Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi offers fans something truly unique. As the world's largest indoor theme park, located on one of the world's premier entertainment destinations, it provides an opportunity to experience multiple Warner Bros. franchises in one place. The addition of Harry Potter is especially significant as these will be a first in the Middle East.
The opportunity for our teams is to create something that feels authentic to the wizarding world while also being uniquely part of the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi experience. We're not simply building attractions, we're continuing to evolve a destination where fans can immerse themselves in the stories, characters and worlds they love in new and memorable ways.
For fans across the region, and for those traveling from around the world, the chance to explore iconic locations such as Diagon Alley, Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest, alongside other beloved Warner Bros. franchises under one roof, will make this a truly distinctive experience. That's what we're focused on delivering: a world-class destination that gives fans compelling reasons to visit, return, and create lasting memories.
Robert: This will be the first themed area at Warner Bros. World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi based on a live-action Warner Bros. Discovery franchise, rather than an animated one. What opportunities and challenges does that create for the design team?
Robinson: Harry Potter is one of the most beloved franchises in the world, with a deeply passionate and committed fanbase spanning multiple generations. As with anything related to Harry Potter, expectations are incredibly high, and meeting those expectations is both a privilege and a responsibility.
One of the biggest opportunities for us is to create environments that feel authentic, immersive and true to Harry Potter, while seamlessly becoming part of the broader Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi experience. Fans have an incredibly strong connection to these locations, stories and characters, so it's important that what we create feels both familiar and new.
At the same time, that's also the challenge. Expectations for Harry Potter are extraordinarily high, and fans know every detail of this world. Our job is to honor what they love about the franchise while creating experiences that surprise and delight them.
That's the balance we're striving for: delivering something that is unmistakably Harry Potter, while creating a world-class experience that can only be found at Warner. Bros. World Abu Dhabi.
Robert: How do you accommodate the wide range of Harry Potter fans when designing experiences for this new area?
Robinson: One of the things that makes Harry Potter so special is the breadth of its fanbase. On the one hand, you have lifelong fans who grew up with the books and films, parents now sharing those stories with their children, and on the other, entirely new generations discovering the wizarding world for the first time.
When we're designing experiences, we start with the guest in mind. Our goal is to create something that feels authentic for the most passionate fans, while also being accessible, welcoming and magical for families and first-time visitors.
That means paying close attention to the details that fans know and love, while creating experiences that anyone can enjoy, regardless of how familiar they are with the franchise.
If we can create moments that resonate with dedicated fans while inspiring new ones, then we've done our job.
Robert: How does Harry Potter fit into the growing brand portfolio on Yas Island?
Dr. Al Zaabi: Bringing the Harry Potter franchise to Yas Island is a first for the Middle East and one that reinforces our commitment to delivering immersive, world-class experiences that contribute to the evolution of the island. It marks a major milestone in our long-standing partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences, demonstrating our joint efforts to elevating Yas Island’s global appeal by bringing globally recognized stories and characters to life through immersive experiences.
Alongside the recently-opened Kryptonite Collider and the upcoming Superman Up and Away roller coaster [debuting in 2028 - Robert], the three Harry Potter–themed lands are part of the expansion of Warner Bros. World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi that will add approximately 70,000 square meters of theme park space, increasing its footprint by more than 50%. This expansion aims to significantly contribute to extending visitor length of stay as well as increasing cross-visitation on Yas Island.
Robert: What new fans are you hoping to attract to the park and to Abu Dhabi by bringing Harry Potter-themed Lands to the park?
Dr. Al Zaabi: Harry Potter is one of the most enduring franchises in modern entertainment history and resonates with fans who grew up with the novels and films just as it does with younger audiences discovering the wizarding world for the first time.
By introducing an experience of this scale, calibre and significance on Yas Island, we are expanding the destination’s appeal to further attract loyal fans of the franchise who plan entire travel itineraries around world-class themed experiences, alongside families, thrill-seekers, cultural explorers and business travelers.
Ultimately, our goal is to reinforce Yas Island’s position as a leading global leisure and entertainment destinations while strengthening Abu Dhabi’s appeal as a world-class tourism destination and playing a major role in the diversification of the Emirate’s economy. This is also aligned with our commitment to Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy to attract 39.3 million visitors and create 178,000 jobs by the end of 2030, increasing the sector’s contribution to non-oil GDP.
Robert: How will the introduction of Harry Potter-themed Lands affect other attractions and experiences on Yas Island and in Abu Dhabi?
Dr. Al Zaabi: At Miral, we approach Yas Island as an integrated ecosystem. Our overarching strategy is anchored in seamless world-class guest experiences with attractions in close proximity, creating a multiplier effect.
With Yas Island’s proximity to Zayed International Airport, Saadiyat Cultural District, and other key leisure and cultural attractions, our guests transition seamlessly between cultural landmarks, theme parks, luxury beachfronts, dining, and event venues. An expansion of this magnitude naturally elevates the end-to-end journey as part of our ongoing efforts to curate a cohesive and frictionless guest journey.
This ecosystem model has been key in the island’s year-on-year growth, with new attractions lengthening the average stay and elevating overall hotel performance on Yas Island and across Abu Dhabi. In 2025, Yas Island recorded 44 million visits, a significant 16 per cent increase compared to 2024, with hotel occupancy averaging 84 per cent, and a 16 per cent increase in ADR compared to 2024.
Robert: We know that the past several months have brought challenges for the UAE and travel to the region. What would you like to say to fans around the world who have been wondering about visiting Abu Dhabi and perhaps Warner Bros. World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in the near future?
Dr. Al Zaabi: The UAE’s strength is built on long-term vision, thoughtful planning and strong foundations to ensure resilience and stability. Guided by the UAE’s leadership, we remain focused on safely delivering joyful and memorable immersive experiences. Our theme parks continue to operate seamlessly while we advance our development plans.
Over the past year alone, we delivered Yas Bay East Beach, a contemporary coastal escape for adults seeking a relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere; opened the latest expansion at Yas Waterworld, adding 11 new rides, slides and attractions; and in July, we welcomed our first guests to experience the exhilarating Kryptonite Collider at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, we are on track with our pipeline, which, as well as the Harry Potter themed lands, set for construction completion in 2029, also includes the upcoming Superman Up and Away roller coaster, set for completion in 2028.
To our guests, fans, and future visitors worldwide, Abu Dhabi remains one of the world’s safest, most welcoming, and forward-looking destinations. Featuring an unparalleled blend of leisure, entertainment, culture, sport, dining, retail, and hospitality experiences, our indoor, climate-controlled attractions welcome guests and visitors throughout the year. We look forward to welcoming the world to Abu Dhabi to experience the Harry Potter-themed lands at Warner Bros. World Yas Island once it’s open.
Update from Robert: Miral is sharing a new hype video for the expansion, which offers what I think is a giant clue as to what one of the new rides will be.
Who's ready to climb into the Weasleys' flying Ford Anglia for a ride to Hogwarts?
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Replies (2)
Interesting that they specify Hogwarts and not Hogsmeade. Given the indoor nature of the parm, it makes sense to traverse the inside of the castle.
Might we have some sort of hub between them? It might not be a great use of space, but you could have a central floo terminal that plausibly connects these spaces as a thematic transition.
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It's going to be fascinating to see how this compares with Universal's HP offering.
Looks like will be using the original films, rather than the new TV series also - which I think is wise. Miral are world class and will no doubt create something very special. Can't think of such a major franchise that has been at two leading companies (Six Flags DC doesn't compare with what Miral did)... suppose we have the Universal and Disney's Spiderman rides. Looking forward to hearing more ride details.