Tag Archives: Miral

September 28, 2026 · 19:21

Relief to see

That was my initial take on the message by TTG Asia and its ‘Harry Potter-themed lands coming to Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi’, is wasn’t anything new, but the Iranian BS of praising ‘Iran Praises Turkey’s Push for Regional Peace, Security’ and “Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi assured Saudi Arabia of Tehran’s commitment to strengthening trust and promoting regional security through cooperation among the countries of the region.” And I detest it as they are the main cause of the issues hitting Saudi Safety. If they were actually invested in this, they would sell out (or sell short) the Houthi Terrorists by denying them weapons, drones and other intelligence. As such I needed a change of scenery as I saw nothing but trouble coming from Iran. As such the TTG Asia article felt like a breath of fresh air at present. You see, there are several sources to consider, but TTG Asia gives a really nice shine to the article with “Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi will add three Harry Potter-themed lands as part of an expansion that will increase the indoor theme park’s overall size by more than 50 per cent.” Any theme park that already is seen as the greatest show on earth is likely to attract an additional hordes of people. And when we get to places like Arabian Business giving us ‘Abu Dhabi unveils new visitor experience guidelines for tourism sector’ and whilst we turn back to “Miral and Warner Bros Discovery Global Experiences are developing Diagon Alley, Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest, which will cover about 63,000m², with construction targeted for completion in 2029.” We see that for the foreseeable future Abu Dhabi and its Warner Brothers theme park will be the place to be seen before 2029, add to that the almost perfect rated WaterWorld and SeaWorld and people are looking at a gemstone of tourist perfection for the foreseeable future. So, here I am doubting my own words by repeating ‘foreseeable’, but that is what Miral and the UAE strived for and it seems to be paying of. My prediction that tourism in the United States will become the “a measurable decrease in visitor numbers, length of stays, or total tourism-related revenue compared to a previous period or baseline expectation” and they did this to themselves. And whilst the ‘sources’ are giving us where places like Epic Universe got things wrong (there is just no pleasing some people) the setting we see it that they are massively outclassed and outgunned in several ways. But the setting that we do see is that there is a massive upside to visiting Abu Dhabi at some point in 2027, because there is no way that your senses will be satisfied waiting until 2029, not with all the entertainment there is out there now and the setting of Harry Potter will be out there from coming December onwards. I reckon (I saw hints) that this will be drenched in the setting of the new HBO series of Harry Potter and that seems to fit, it would end up being the setting for the next generation of Wizarding World fans. I was the previous group, just like the Original Star Trek group and there is no resentment, the only question mark I am raising is that there is a larger group that requires the Blue-Ray or 4K versions of this setting and there is some worry because Disney is hiding these series away from people. Try getting the Infinity war and Endgame on 4K in Australia. Shops will not have them and neither do they have the Mandalorian onboard these formats. It is shielded away for Disney subscribers. Now, I get that there would be a ‘time’ exclusion, this makes sense, but the Mandalorian was 2019 (through 2021) and I am ‘rejecting’ the movie because of that. So there is a setting where the UAE could become the place where you catch up on these series and personally I would feel offense if HBO would go the same way with Harry Potter and don’t come to me with they would never do that. Because Yanks (people from the United States) are all about setting their premise from the start and this is one sage where this could be pursued. And now you are wondering why I made the detour. You see, the UAE will become the place for Harry Potter merchandise and they could get the inside track on the Digital formats as well (as optionally opening a WB shop in the Yas Mall) consider that HP has millions of fans and by the time that Hogwarts Abu Dhabi opens they will have hit season 4. Now consider that these fans could get the series and optionally put themselves on the list for all following seasons and this implies an optional 7 seasons (times x million fans) and when these numbers hit, people will go the extra mile to sign up for whatever they are given at the park, optionally with additional parts (like a hologram steel cover)  when the merchandise is good, people will bend over backwards paying this and with theses numbers, you can offer the limited never in shops to be seen, because the United States and their greed driven settings opened up the market for that and now these people could be invested in their series. This was one of the side tracks I saw when I published a story on Star Trek (somewhere in 2025) but the premise goes on a lot further than that and traction is given to the people who do the work, not those who proclaim it is coming and I reckon that Miral would guard its database of all kinds of fane running into the millions to consider what is coming their way and as the series will go on until 2033/2034, that becomes a behemoth of people all vested into their Harry Potter settings and they will get what they desire (for a price) and now we see that Miral gets the inside track on what is seen as estimates place casual fans in the hundreds of millions and dedicated ‘Potterheads’ in the tens of millions worldwide. Now take that number and consider 7 seasons of that new HBO series, whilst also supporting the fans of the old series (in 4K), optionally selling the 8 empty movie boxes as a set as well, which might be desired by all who love Harry Potter. As for myself, I love the 4K version I have now, but I will jump at the option to get these 8 metallic hologram boxes to upgrade the discs I have and that is a market that no one would considering touching, until you realise that this sets up your coffers with millions of sold boxes at whatever the price was and there are reasons to believe that people might upgrade their collection (I did in early 2026) and the idea of upgrading the box? A simple run for the cash register. Now these settings are at the station of Miral and that is what we call free revenue. Revenue that is gotten whilst no serious investment in advertisement was required. On that station, consider that there is a hiatus in Abu Dhabi at present. We get the odd duck who is into the depth of things, but I noticed a lag of videos by what should be cherished in all things. The width of Abu Dhabi is not showing up in YouTube and I wonder why not. Now, I am all for people having a great time (it is a requirement of fun) but the people giving us their views on all places Abu Dhabi seems to be reclining and I wonder why. Because as I see it, this is the first stop in gaining traction with a global population and there still is time and now is the time to start setting up shop for creating traction and polarize desire. This is a dangerous statement, because not all polarization if positive. Yet when if comes to fan settings a lot remains positive, but where are the fans? Where are the wannabe influencers of the Wizarding Worlds? The park is still plenty of time away, but there seems to be less and less materials making the YouTube channels on Sea World, Water World, Ferrari World and the Yas Mall. I’ll admits that Google needs to upgrade its PS5 YouTube App (like filtering for newly created stuff) but beyond that, there is a lack of new materials showing. I don’t think that Aldar Properties PJSC might be happy about that. We were given that 2025 gave the Yas Mall 44 million visitors, as such I would have expected a lot more videos. And that traction will be needed to keep interest growing for 2029 and as such a large WB shop in Yas Mall might be a requirement (as well as stalls in the WB hotel and a few other places) They have an excellent Merch shop in the hotel, but where are the digital items? Movies, TV Shows and several other sides. This is merely my limited version of what could be, but consider that Awareness leads directly into acceptance, understanding, and intentional action. The idea of this could lead into new frontier of merchandising and as I see it, there is not enough preparation towards any of this. Take the one example I set, the old HP movies. To see how this fares, they could have added these metal boxes of the 8 movies and see where it headed. There is also the option of having these 8 movies in WB Yas mall, but that might be restricted by licensing. So whilst I was watching a Yas Mall video, I also saw that the premise of AR (Augmented Reality) displays in Yas Mall are optionally missing. I reckon that Miral (or Aldar Properties PJSC) should be overlooking this, because apart from the futuristic vibe, it is free awareness and almost free advertisement and as given this creates acceptance, understanding and when you have invested a billion into WB World and you are adding up to a billion dollars into this, you could used all the acceptance that the world would fork out.

So as TTG Asia ends the article with ““Introducing three new Harry Potter–themed lands allows us to deepen the connection between our iconic franchises and the guests who cherish them,” added Simon Robinson, president global experiences & studio operations, Warner Bros Discovery.” I wonder how ready WBD actually is, because these steps should have been completed yeas ago and the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi was opened in July 2018. As such they had 8 years to create plenty of acceptance and understanding. 

Well, that is it for now (Grok will probably accuse me of ranting) but that is the choice of an older generation and it still leads to acceptance and understanding. So you all have a great day.

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September 8, 2026 · 16:15

Oink, oink school.

Yes, it is about a school with a winged boar, also known as Hogwarts. I am rewatching (yet again) the 8 movies. Not sure what HBO is bringing us and it will be a while before we get that on Blu-ray/4K, but there it is. And as I was considering a few options to add to the merchandise I got to thinking. The idea of something long term could be used in conjunction with other settings. 

So when I think calendar, I still think of the Lotus Organizer, I had to on Windows 3.1, since then we have had Windows95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium, Windows 7, Windows Vista and at least 2 more and nothing ever beat Lotus Organizer, worse for the matter, nothing ever came close. 

So whilst BI people look at outlook, they kinda missed the mark. At that same time Google has a more comfortable calendar, more intuitive and then it started to hit me. What if the Lotus Organizer was remastered/relaunched/reset into a new Organizer, but one with a lot of added choices. Set to Hogwarts, 1 of 4 houses, a separate setting (often personal) and it comes with options, with options to have ‘Hogwarts events’ added to your calendar Hogwarts and house specific settings. It is after all meant for the Wizarding world savvy kids, but one that is also meant for adults. 

There is an additional upscaling issue for Miral, when you are in a place, or planning to be somewhere, you can mark its in your calendar and the calendar can (if you desire) get added events tagged there and not just for the UAE, when you are in any place (New York, London, Paris, Munich) those are but few and as these additions are made, your Mon-Sun calendar will look a lot less empty. There is more, the anniversary and planner settings could also be filled with Hogwarts events and settings. But the idea to create an organizer that is not set to the  needs of Google, Microsoft, IBM and a few other sides might beneficial to Miral and to the UAE. Still, that was not my first priority. My first priority was to redesign a Hogwarts ‘friendly’ calendar. Like to old school calendar that we all had (an optionally loved). The setting is ready as Hogwarts is starting year 1 (yet again) and as I read they are starting filming year 2. As Miral isn’t opening Hogwarts Abu Dhabi until 2029, their departments have plenty of time to create a ‘better’ calendar. This calendar should interact with all the calendars you could have. Google, Microsoft and whatever else is out there. Giving you the option to make the interactions bi directional when they are linked, so that both are correctly updated. And as it gives the school going population a nice addition, this calendar should be on Computer (Mac/PC), tablet and mobile. It also gives Miral the setting to get spread into the Larger Huawei population giving traction and spreading the love (I meant the traction to a much larger population) so whilst the BI people are dead set on proclaiming they do not need Huawei, or Chinese goods. But it is represented by over 3,000,000,000 users over 170 countries. As such there is a need to exploit this situation in the best (and most customer friendly) way around. These gaps are showing up and as I see it (and as Lotus Organizer) was such a good product, there is a point of entry to the consumers at large and there are hundreds of millions of Harry Potter enthusiasts/fans a perfect match for Miral and they have time to get everything ready. This is but the top of the marker. Hogwarts is an 7 year (season)  enterprise and it is important that this is done right and my shot for the hoops (without a second dribble) is to reinvent a good idea to a great idea, one that aligns with the internet of things and see what the innovations of Huawei could bring Miral a consumer base of billions. And even if this setting doesn’t work out, it will provide a customer interest spanning 170 countries and as I see it, Huawei would also need that traction. A match made in the boardrooms everywhere. 
But this is only top of mind thinking. So I wish Miral all the luck in creating the upcoming merchandise. 

There is more
But this is not the only idea, the next one is for Saudi Arabia as they are now the owned of Electronic Arts. EA created in 1988 Battle Chess, it was a cool and decent Chess computer. Wouldn’t it be great if the was rereleased with an additional skin? A wizards chess skin should do that trick, as such the original game might need some tweaking in the graphics department so that it might fit tablets and laptops. There could be some additional tweaks could be made, so that there is an option to play with another person through an internet and or email link. Some people are driven to chess, but perhaps one move per cycle and that cycle could be set to hours, up to a day with a option to freeze the progression (for weekend and other settings) so as we consider that these are merely two options that are set to a larger option for Miral. Optionally they could make a deal with Saudi Arabia to be an exclusive dealer for the Hogwarts theme parks. 

So, in a day I found two additional merchant dish options and one has several additional options coming their way, especially if they could set the larger stage with Huawei. So whilst everyone is jumping at the setting of ‘Canada braces for prolonged trade war as counter-tariffs on US take effect’ I took the time to find more avenues of revenue and I decided to find other venues that most aren’ considering. Aren’t I clever?

Have a great day and consider you only need one wand to use the Cruciatus curse on your enemy.

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September 6, 2026 · 16:35

Mirror, mirror

So, here I was thinking of a few historically documented events (they are called movies now), so in  1937 a man named Walt gave us the recollections of a girl who used to live with several  individuals, namely Warwick David, Peter Dinklage, Kenny Baker, Mike Edmonds, Malcolm Dixon, George Claydon and David Rappaport. They all worked in the mining industry. But then I saw this so called ‘evil person’ with a magic mirror and then I saw it, that bitch was a Technomage. She was using a magic mirror (aka raspberry pie fitted two way mirror) to set the stage. What an evil wench. Well, two can play that game and as the idea took hold of me, I starting to consider.

So what if a new place like Warner Brothers Abu Dhabi had this gimmick, a mirror that is also a communicator. It links to your mobile and allows two way communication with whomever you are talking to. The idea is to apply a filter (through the app) that gives it that magical shine. And taking the elements of Hogwarts, there are 4 options. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor, the all have the same filters except two, these are house driven. A smoky filter (Yellow, Blue, Green and Red) and now, as we are now 89 years later, we have basically mastered miniaturization and we can make it a lot smaller. I would argue that each house has two options, the mirror you can set on your desk and a smaller one that you can fit in a bag, and when you answer the call, the mobile sends it to the mirror. I would argue that you could have 4 buttons on the mirror so you can call your 4 best friends, optionally these buttons are on the frame, so that the buttons can be a little bigger and the 5th on the mirror initializes the call. Wouldn’t that gimmick (original ‘creator’ the evil bitch from Walt’s company) fit nicely in the arsenal of merchandise that could be created and there are a few months before the new TV series start and I reckoned that the Abu Dhabi park opens up either in that same time, but the article tells us that this part of WB will open I 2029, as such Miral (the operator in Abu Dhabi) has time to look at the the options to create this merchandise for real and create alternatives. Or, at least investigate whether this idea could be made real. And from there they could offer it to the Wizarding World for real. A small idea to hand to Miral is that the United States is almost out of cash, so handing them credit might not be the best idea. 

Well that is it for me and this idea came out of the yellow (I’m a Hufflepuffer). In other news Blooloop confirmed two days ago “Warner Bros. has confirmed that the Harry Potter area in its Abu Dhabi theme park will be the only one in the world to feature recreations of the iconic Hogwarts Castle and Diagon Alley locations, as well as a Forbidden Forest.

We got last week (1st September) when Warner Bros. released a teaser video for the expansion at its annual ‘Back to Hogwarts’ event.” The video can be seen (at https://blooloop.com/news/harry-potter-abu-dhabi-lands) so at present you know as much as I do, apart from the innovative ideas that are forming in my mind to upgrade the mirror setting. Oh, as we are also given (by Blooloop)“Currently, the only theme park home to a recreation of Diagon Alley is Universal Studios Florida. A scale model of Hogwarts is found in the neighbouring Islands of Adventure, and although it is connected to Universal Studios Florida by a replica of the Hogwarts Express train, it is a completely separate park.”

So that’s it for today and I need to think of another filter to make the mirror ‘more’ magical and why stop at 2? The idea to insert the house crest in your communication is also an idea and there is more. The idea to link the apps that you have to the mirror when you are not communicating, as such whatever app is on your mobile (like accio dobby) or whatever the app world has to offer now, just thinking out of the box.

Have a great day today.

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August 25, 2026 · 18:42

Haters will be haters

That is the setting I saw. You see, I have been looking at some of the video’s on the theme parks and see what could be applied towards theme parks in Saudi Arabia and the UAE (not the same ideas) and when I saw the video on Universal Kids which is based in Frisco, Texas. So as I was expecting some hater view, but the delivery was pretty spot on, I would say that the people in Saudi Arabia and in the UAE (Miral) should see the video (or visit on person) to see how things should not be done. You see, I saw the setting of the park called Le Puy du Fou (France) and it would be a great idea for Sindalah giving the people (and tourists) a decent entertaining frontier for those in Sindalah. There was the setting of rides in the Dutch Efteling which could have embossed Warner Bros. World, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (this was before the Harry Potter park was announced) but that should not have stopped the idea. You see, as the United States falls deeper and deeper into disfavor with the tourists in the world, these people want an alternative and as some people do not want the pressure and the massive heavy congestion, packed buses, and crowded pedestrian crossings that Tokyo brings (I still hope to see it with my own eyes at some point). But the settings are out there and I want to be careful not to promote haters (they’ll always remain haters) but the story behind Universal Kids is a warning that should not be ignored and whilst it is true that it is great for young children, the setting that rides like these should be added to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. You see I am the kind of person that does not agree that it should fit all, there are places that are specifically for Kids (the young ones). The Efteling (Netherlands) has the mushroom forest, which is not for the adults (parents excepted). But this setting could easily be added to the Park Dubai Miracle Garden, and optionally the Boulevard City (Riyadh) if they could set this to famous Arabic cartoons. So whilst there are plenty of options, the stage for both requires additions (optionally upgrades) and the biggest seen setting here it Ferrari World, as I see it, it was created in 2010, as such upgrades/additions are pretty essential, especially as the official tickets go for $131.25, but there are cheaper versions like the Abu Dhabi pass which costs a mere $22, so plenty of money savers to be found, but I think that additions are required. And that gave me an idea to something I noticed, a setting that has a random factor in it all, I give you the following two pics. It is the mere setting of the ride (not the ride itself) you need to get a graphic designer for that.

and

So we see the first image and these circles are the ride connector discs, and whilst the ride has a random factor, the setting is that you go from disc to disc towards the end. There is a logical ‘randomisation’ on how the ride progresses and that ride gives a little extra, then the lower image is the second setting, and the three parts after that is the demarcation place at the end of the ride, after which the rides go back to the start. 

A few years ago I gave (based on the setting of the Efteling Dream flight) a magic carpet ride, but there are a few safety issues. I was going from a seat on the carpet with a safety belt on it. I came to the conclusion that a bag of gemstones and gold could be added as a chair and get the safety belt on that. But the appeal was the flight over the park and an added setting for the ride, as such it could still be added and whilst it might sound corny, the setting might work. So there was that. And it matters now, as there is too much negativity of the current parks of the United States. And whilst too many are seeking another option, one that keeps the United States out of it all, that setting is very likely to be in play in 2027-2031, because this president has made the United States a no place to visit for several years after he is put up to pasture (which is in 2029) and it will take years for tourism to pick up after that. As such, we need more and whilst the EU has its places (and very good ones), there is place for Saudi Arabia and the UAE to shine stronger as a tourist location and when you consider that they could find appeal to the 1.9 billion muslims there is growing interest from non-muslims. As such both places Abu Dhabi/Riyadh might increase the setting of a growing touristy population. 

As such the race is on, because some are seeing that the United States is becoming a no-go place (especially for Canadians) but other countries are feeling the same way. Have a great day all.

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July 2, 2026 · 03:52

Catching laurels

That is what I am seeing. The news (at https://blooloop.com/news/yas-waterworld-guinness-world-record) is giving us ‘Abu Dhabi’s Yas Waterworld sets Guinness World Record with 55 waterslides’ as I see it, that is quite the record. The waterpark in The Hague (specifically: Wassenaar) only had 4 slides and we had a ball for hours. Here in WaterWorld you could spend a day trying waterslides and never having to do the same slide twice. Ad there is still more to do there. So we see “During a celebratory ceremony held at the attraction, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, group CEO of Miral, and Rayan Al Haddar, general manager of Yas Waterworld, received the Guinness World Records certificate from Hanane Spiers, official Guinness World Records adjudicator for the MENA region and Türkiye.” As such I say well done Miral and well done WaterWorld. As long as the Al Raha river still exists when I get there (date unknown) so I can float in the sun in Hufflepuff shorts and a Hufflepuff bucket hat I will be happy. To protect myself from the sun I will most likely be wearing a Hufflepuff t-shirt with long arms, so the sun does not get me  for the longest of times and I reckon that sunnies are also needed and a GoPro so that I can record just how awesome I think I look. Yet this is not the first record they set. In past events they also set:

Most water moved using a sponge in one minute: Achieved by George Massoud with 5,928.79 ml during a live event at the park.

As well as:

Most nationalities in a swimming pool: Set by 102 different nationalities gathering in the waterpark to celebrate the UAE’s Year of Tolerance.

As such WaterWorld proves itself yet again that Abu Dhabi is the place to be on your next vacation and it is only one of 4 parks to see (SeaWorld, Warner Brothers World and Ferrari world) then there is the Yas Mall with a few events and the Marina. Yes your package could be extended beyond what you expected, so whilst we wait for Harry Potter and Disney world to arrive, your vacation becomes a speed train of excitement. Talking about trains, the press to Dubai takes a little under an hour, so there is so much more to do, but as I see it, every other day cooling off in  WaterWorld is not a bad way to get through your vacation time. That being said, the Warner Brother Hotel includes a voucher every day you are there, with that voucher you can select one of these parks to enter for free. Not a bad deal, is it?

So as we return to WaterWorld, we see “Yas Waterworld’s record comes after the launch of its recent expansion, which introduced 11 new rides, slides and attractions to the park, and brought Yas Waterworld’s total number of attractions to more than 70.” And you could be there all day long enjoying the events and tomorrow (today for me) that park will give you all the fun you can handle from 11:00 in the morning until 22:00 hours in the evening (that is 10PM), 11 hours of soaking, sliding and other activities. What a vacation setting that is. 

So, to the people of Miral I extent my congratulations. It is an honour well deserved and it gives additional appeal to visit Abu Dhabi. A happy day to all here in my blog today. Time to catch the snore mill and get ready for some serious DML today.

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June 24, 2026 · 05:30

Just an idea

It was an idea I had last night. The setting of Paramount taking over WB (at least parts of it) opened an idea that could give the UAE, in particular Abu Dhabi a lot more tourism. You see, the Star Trek Universe has somewhere between 100 and 300 million fans and no one has seen a complete theme event on Star Trek? I am hesitant to call that place a ‘park’ but it comes close to it. A place where you can see and optionally walk on the bridges of the original Enterprise (TOS), the Galaxy class version (TNG), Voyager, and the Titan class (Picard) then there is the stage of the sets of the Defiant, parts of Deep Space 9 (Terok Nor) perhaps a section to show part of a Borg ship, millions if fans would love to see that and as I see it, the United States are done for, for at least a decade and likely there won’t be a United States after that, so Paramount needs to bet its hedges and look beyond that space. The UAE has a theme park riddled Abu Dhabi, so it makes sense to have it there. There is also the correlation (indicated but unproven) that those who love Star Trek also love Harry Potter, as such there is a pressure to consider them. I don’t think that they should be in the same location, because of the dangers of congestion at that point, also I am in doubt whether Yas Island would be the bet place, but Abu Dhabi is so much larger and has plenty of options. I think that this is a stage where Miral should have serious talks with Paramount on this setting. Perhaps a combination with a wax museum showing all the characters of Star Trek and its connected series. All things that are currently not existing. The Deep Space 9 setting with shops and a Quarcks (under new Ferengi management) could be considered. I wonder how many millions will sip at least a glass of of Canard and optionally take a bottle home as a keepsake. This setting might bring billions into the coffers of Miral. I wonder if anyone considered combining all the ships and show the bridges in one place. And display technology has evolved over the last few years alone, so seeing a part of the Borg ship with a large gap into space is now easily arranged with the display technology out there. A wax museum showing the casts of the two enterprises, Voyager, Deep Space 9 and optionally the Star Trek Movies too, could stir the hearts of millions of Star Trek Fans and as an addition to the already large theme park settings might be the one boost they get to do this (and soak up the sun and the UAE beaches) as I said, it is merely an idea, but as the UAE already has several settings and with Disney coming to Abu Dhabi as well, the UAE could become the preferred location for millions of additional tourists. That setting optionally enhanced with all the selfie moments, but perhaps even a place to have a film camp, a setting every Sci fi lover dreams of at some point. To make your own Sci-fi film, all ideas that feed the blender of creation. What remains can bear the scrutiny of many accountants at Miral (I a guessing that they have a fleet of them looking at all the venues and results). The setting that is out in the open, it always was, but the merger between WB and Paramount is driving this to the surface. The question becomes, does Miral think it is worth considering? 

As I said, it was just an idea and anything to take my eyes of the BS that is called USA-Iran negotiations. I like the headline from the Times the best at present ‘Trump, Iran and the Denial of Defeat’ it kinda sums up the entire fiasco, so whilst some are trying to spin this into some form of victory, the reality is that soon Iran will have to be dealt with, I have no idea who or how, but I do not believe that the United States will be the one doing it. They wasted (according to there own numbers) “The U.S.-Iran war cost the Pentagon an estimated $29 billion to $40 billion in direct operational expenses, but total economic and long-term costs could range between $600 billion and $1 trillion” I have not been sitting with an abacus, so I do not know, but consider the wasted money and the lack of results. It would have been something if all the refineries were hit as well as a few other tactical places, but that was not the case, so Iran can still buy hardware from whomever is willing to sell to them. As such I believe it to be important that the UAE gets whatever mens they can to increase their economic foothold on the Middle East, they have don’t quite well and they still have a few more options to that effect, but I merely gave the tourist idea, because it is something I would like to see and the idea that I get a two week vacation in Abu Dhabi where every day is filled with fun and adventure (yes, a visit to the Yas Mall could be both fun and adventure) would be an excellent idea. I believe that millions have that same feeling, because at present the United States is not that inviting, add to this the YouTube videos on their Epic Universe with several rides allegedly breaking down does not instill any thoughts that Orlando will be the place to go. With the economic foothold that is diminishing in Florida, we see one side saying it is good, but we also see “The U.S. travel sector is projected to lose between $12.5 billion and $29 billion in international visitor spending.”, with the added “Foreign arrivals have dropped by roughly 5%, with major month-over-month contractions from Asia (down 7.5%) and Europe (down 5.2%)” as well as “Canada, historically the largest source of inbound U.S. tourism, has driven a massive portion of this decline, with Canadian travel to the U.S. dropping by roughly 22%” the numbers do not add up, with this decline we still see “Florida boasts the fourth-largest economy in the United States, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of roughly $1.76 trillion. If it were an independent nation, the state would rank as the 15th largest economy globally.” In addition to this, the negative YouTube videos keep on swarming around Epic Universe. I cannot say if they are real or if they are Epic Universe haters, that option remains a reality, but as I see it, the numbers do not add up and I reckon that the next president when they make their numbers openly known, we will see what an alleged curse President Trump has become to the United States. As such places like paramount needs to find new ventures to survive and it is my personal opinion that the UAE is such a space. And in light of what WB already has set up, the numbers might give satisfaction to the board members of Paramount. So, the question becomes is Miral ending that solution a good option to consider. 

Have a great day, it is 5:30  now and only 7 degrees, I am freezing. So there is another appeal to be smitten by the 39 degree non-freezing weather that Abu Dhabi could offer my poor old shivering bones.

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February 3, 2026 · 06:05

There is a problem

These are words you are unlikely to hear from tourist boards and they don’t like to give out that kind of information, because when you go on vacation, the numbers are always good. That has been the setting for almost 2 months, but today the Financial Times (at https://www.ft.com/content/5230100f-dfbd-428a-a554-f671e46ba3db) gives its readers ‘Disney warns of hit to US theme parks as foreign tourist numbers fall’, I saw the writing on that wall the moment we saw YouTube videos on how deserted the Epic Universe was. We saw the ‘negative’ views on rides and many other settings, the kind which puzzled me because that should have been addressed at the staging times and the makers of Epic Universe should have known better, but now we see “Disney said there would only be modest growth in its experiences business in the current quarter. The guidance comes after a 6 per cent drop in foreign visitors to the US last year, according to industry body the World Travel & Tourism Council, amid tensions between the Trump administration and other countries, including Mexico and Canada.” I personally believe that the damage is greater, but that might be a pure subjective thought process. There are a few thoughts that “Some investors, analysts and former company executives see D’Amaro, who is expanding the cruise fleet to 13 and overseeing the construction of a new theme park in Abu Dhabi, as the likeliest internal candidate to succeed Iger. “Investors are expecting it to be Josh D’Amaro,” said Rich Greenfield, veteran media analyst at LightShed Partners. “I don’t think anyone owns Disney [stock] for any reason other than the theme parks now.” Revenue from Disney’s streaming business, led by Walden, rose 11 per cent in the quarter. The company’s film studios had a number of hits in the holiday season, including Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2. But marketing costs for the new releases offset the higher theatrical revenue in the quarter” evoke, but that too is subjective. As I see it, Disney lucked out by setting the Abu Dhabi stage, but there is seemingly more. We see this from “marketing costs for the new releases offset the higher theatrical revenue in the quarter” it hands the setting that I have been seeing over the last two years. It isn’t the marketing cost, it has been the turnaround from awareness to booking the outing (or vacation) and it is based on numbers and thoughts that are the foundations of a relic. You see, it comes back to the old Direct Marketing setting of the 90’s. People thought that throwing more money at it gets you the numbers, but in this instance there are two hindrances. The first is the Trump administration and the negativity that ‘America’ now brings. Add to that issues with rides and costs. A new kind of marketing is required and tourism isn’t ready for that, just like the Direct Marketeers had in the 90’s. In the marketing industry is was the step that augmented ‘engagement’, that is now the number one setting, not blatant advertising. And it comes with a hindsight issue. The numbers they are collecting now no longer suffices, but that is a lesson they will learn soon enough. So even if the negativity is dealt with, there is still the catering to engagement. I gave a few ideas in the past (in my blog) and there are further needs. As places like Disney is catering to children, that needs to come across as essential. Weirdly enough Supermarkets are doing it to engage with the children thought Disney and Harry Potter collections, I saw that as key to engagement, by catering to that side and one example I had given was to create placemats that could be used as ‘stages’ in this with the characters in this. Like Disney or Harry Potter characters that were handed out. The stage was to set the background of the event you catered to and as younger ones now had access to mobiles to create their own movies, these elements could be used to create an imaginary repartee. Get influencers to create settings that these younger targets could use to boost creativity because that is pure engagement. The job for Disney and like minded places need to create optional software (a mere example) that gives these people that creativity, and the nice part is that these solutions have no ‘use by’ data and they could be expanded through every event a year has. By tapping into that creativity you will be creating yearning and desire to be part of that story. And you know when a younger player wants it bad enough, it tends to happen, no matter that it costs the parents $209-$229 per person (less for kids 3-9 years old) and that is merely the beginning. You see food and snacks will set you back around $100 per adult per day for a mix of snacks and meals. So at $700 you are out of pocket for two adults and additional cost for the child and in this economy you need a more than mere awareness. That is the setting that Abu Dhabi seems to be avoiding, but it comes at other prices. And engagement can solve a lot of these issues right of the bat. As such operators like Miral have a steep path to go, but the fun pat is that they can use the approach of all their parks and that implies to some degree that one solution serves all, a pretty nice setting to have. But that is merely the first step, to get the younger players on board, get the right influencers to head the engagement setting all using the nearly same solution to cater to all.

Is this a figment?

That is the right question, but when we consider player like Cristiano Ronaldo (with 670,000,000 followers) we get ‘smaller’ influencers like Selena Gomez, Lionel Messi, MrBeast, but we aren’t vying to them, you see getting the people behind Bluey, PAW Patrol, Gabby’s Dollhouse, Numberblocks, and Sesame Street, can be much more effective and they can be found in any country and seeing where your people are coming from is a first to set up that requirement and other countries have other favourite but the same solution applies. Get these people to drive engagement and you get a new engine of engagement, because the TV is already vying for engagement, as such why invent the wheel two times over? Use that solution to create engagement. 

And as we see the stage of engagement, we can wonder what solutions will be invoked by Disney, Universal and Warner Brothers and as such places like Miral can head them all off by heading that way before the others have figured out what they need to do. A seemingly simple setting, but it comes with the hidden traps that need to be avoided, a stage all trendsetters face.

Have a great day.

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August 21, 2025 · 10:41

Time to poke fun

Yes, that is the starting sound, we need to poke fun at the media. Especially CNN in this instance. The cause of my actions? Well we have the article (at https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/20/travel/abu-dhabi-world-theme-park-capital) giving us ‘Watch out, Orlando, a new world theme park capital is rising in the Arabian desert’, that is the first setting. It isn’t rising it is already here. So it is time to get to the specifics. First we get “a challenger for the crown has emerged from an unlikely place: the deserts of the Arabian Gulf. In a destination once known more for oil wealth and camel racing than roller coasters, Abu Dhabi is building an adrenaline-charged playground that could give Orlando a run for its money.” This is the first setting. It isn’t building it, it is already been built. So is this an article to ‘dissuade’ Americans to go there? They already have build the Warner Bros theme park, complete with hotel. And the guests in that hotel get a free ticket for any of the 4 theme parks, as such you need not be bored. And they are already giving Orlando a run for its money and this Political administration is showing the people there is fun to be had in the UAE, Abu Dhabi and the train gets you to Dubai in 95 minutes. 

Then it is time for some facts and we are given “There was “no question,” says Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences. The UAE capital, already home to Ferrari World, with the world’s fastest roller coaster; Warner Bros. World (built under license by CNN’s parent company, Warner Brothers Discovery); Yas Waterworld, an epic network of slides and pools; and more recently, SeaWorld Yas Island Abu Dhabi. It’s clear the emirate is emerging as the most serious challenger Orlando has ever faced.” With the worlds fastest rollercoaster, the issue of adrenaline has been set and achieved already.

Then we get “Disneyland Abu Dhabi, expected to open on Yas Island in the early 2030s, will be the company’s most technologically advanced park ever. Renderings show a shimmering, futuristic tower at its center — more closely resembling Abu Dhabi’s gleaming skyline than a traditional European castle. It will be the first Disney resort set on an accessible shoreline, located just 20 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi.” It is nice that they ‘avoid’ giving the setting that the Harry Potter expansion will be launching somewhere in the latter part of next year. I expect that Disney on Yas will launch no later than 2029, it might be 2028, as such they are a mere 2 years off the timeline. Now, I don’t have any facts on the settings. And if that is the word by Josh D’Amaro then I will concede to that, but the settings that I am seeing are to my knowledge spot on (could be fictive) and in light of the Warner Brothers expansion it my timeline makes sense. All these theme parks are on Yas Island, which is the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, making it part of Abu Dhabi (check a map if you doubt me) and it is right next to Zayed International Airport, so the tourists can shuttle right into any theme park (probably better to check into the hotel). As for ‘downtown’ Abu Dhabi, there is a need to know it, because there are more things to see in Abu Dhabi (like museums and art centers). As for shopping, Yas Island has the Yas mall. A mall so vast and complete that it only has the Dubai Mall as a competitor. 

So what gives? In this instance I am bound to point the finger at the writer Melanie Swan. I have written about Abu Dhabi several times and this article is a mere 12 hours old. So as I see it, there might be a political reason, but not a journalistically reason to write this article. But there are plenty of Monday morning quarterbacks, so to offer an alternative see below for my version of this article.

Watch out, Orlando, your replacement in the Arabian desert is already here
For decades, Orlando has reigned as the global capital of theme parks — a place where Disney, Universal, SeaWorld and countless other attractions have drawn millions of visitors. Yet there was a replacement for over a decade and it is getting better. Abu Dhabi has an island suburb called Yas Island and it is about to gain two additions over the next 5 years making it appealing beyond believe. Fist we get the Harry Potter expansion to the Warner Brothers theme park (expected opening is 2026) and now it gained the ultimate theme park weapon: Disney.

In May 2025, it chose Abu Dhabi over other key theme park destinations in California, Japan and even Orlando. We heard Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences tell us there was “no question,” already home to Ferrari World, with the world’s fastest roller coaster; Warner Bros. World (built under license by CNN’s parent company, Warner Brothers Discovery); Yas Waterworld, an epic network of slides and pools; and more recently, SeaWorld Yas Island Abu Dhabi. It’s clear the emirate will become the most serious challenger Orlando has ever faced.

Disneyland Abu Dhabi, expected to open on Yas Island in the coming 5 years will be the company’s most technologically advanced park ever. Renderings show a shimmering, futuristic tower at its center — more closely resembling Abu Dhabi’s gleaming skyline than a traditional European castle. It will be the first Disney resort set on an accessible shoreline, mere minutes from Zayed International Airport.

The theme park will be developed, built and operated by Miral, the Abu Dhabi company behind Yas Island’s roster of other attractions. Disney Imagineers will handle creative design and operational oversight, making sure the new park is in keeping with Disney’s brand. Miral’s CEO, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, says demand already exists: 2024 saw a 20% rise in theme park attendance on Yas Island. As we read this more record-breaking rides at Ferrari World, new themed hotels, and even two beaches along Yas Bay Waterfront are underway. With the F1 track already established Yas Island is merely increasing its already growing appeal. With Abu Dhabi’s location, a medium-haul flight away from both Europe and Asia, and relatively short hop away from India, means millions of potential visitors are within relatively easy reach.

“This isn’t about building another theme park,” Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Abu Dhabi’s director general of tourism, told CNN. “It’s about defining Abu Dhabi as a global destination where culture, entertainment and luxury intersect.” 

Under its Tourism Strategy 2030, Abu Dhabi aims to grow annual visitors from 24 million in 2023 to more than 39 million by the end of the decade. With Disneyland as a centerpiece, those targets may well be surpassed. The city’s population has already grown from 2.7 million in 2014 to more than 4.1 million today, a reflection of its rising profile as a regional hub.

Yas Island alone has been transformed in the space of a decade from a largely undeveloped stretch of sand to a self-contained resort destination, complete with golf courses, marinas, a mall, more than 160 restaurants, and a cluster of high-end hotels. As such, All those who dreamed to live in a theme park heaven with all the options in the same place, now get a real deal to do so in Abu Dhabi, and with the absence of Taxation and Trumps Maga flock what could be more appealing? And should you be enticed you can get to Abu Dhabi for $1325 and a 30-day single-entry tourist visa costs $55, while a 60-day one costs $80. As such, what is now the appeal of a US VISA of $185 and a US Department of State imposed bonds of up to $US15,000 to some tourists? At what point did America consider throwing itself out of the tourism settings? 

So this is what I would have written with the data that Melanie Swan had at her disposal. You tell me, what was wrong with CNN going with that article? Have a great day and should you be inclined, consider Abu Dhabi your next holiday destination.

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August 2, 2025 · 21:20

As Hogwarts expands

That is the setting. We are given ‘Miral extends deadline for tender to build Abu Dhabi’s ‘Harry Potter’ land’ (at https://blooloop.com/theme-park/news/miral-construction-tender-harry-potter-land-abu-dhabi/) the quote is that “Miral has extended a bid submission deadline for a tender to build the new Harry Potter-themed land at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island. Per a report from Middle East media publishing company MEED, the deadline has been extended from 28 July to 4 August.” Implying that next week the Start of a  $545 million – $816m expansion is due to begin. And in addition we are given “Three new rides in Harry Potter land Miral announced the Middle East’s first Harry Potter-themed land in 2022. It will feature iconic locations from the Wizarding World, as well as three new rides, retail outlets, and F&B facilities. The 40,000 M2 addition to Warner Bros. World will join six existing zones in the park – Warner Bros. Plaza, Bedrock, Dynamite Gulch, Cartoon Junction, Gotham City and Metropolis.” As such The staff of Hogwarts will have to endure a rush of people howling “Yabadabadoo” whilst assaulting the death eaters. These death eaters are in a pincer setting as the other side will be shouting “Yibbity-Yabbity-Doo!”, those poor death eaters won’t know what hit them (nyuk, nyuk, nyuk)

And as I see it, the quote “Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Miral, said: “This is yet another testament to our commitment to continue to position Yas Island as a top global destination for entertainment and leisure, and a great addition to Abu Dhabi’s tourism offerings, contributing to the growth and economic diversification of the emirate.”” Is not entirely accurate. It is that international tourism will see Abu Dhabi as a much more appealing destination and with the ‘idiocy’ (as I personally see it) settings that America is setting with immigration, the costly ‘visa integrity fee’ and several other settings. So as I see it, Universal just dished out $7.7 billion USD (Hogwarts is merely a part of it) and the other park in Orlando will have a rather large problem. With the Hogwarts expansion, Yas Island becomes the most appealing choice for a whole flock of tourists, now definitely deciding that there will be a viable alternative for Orlando, and when Disney arrives in 2027/2028 also on Yas Island, Florida will see the largest downfall in economy they have ever had. When millions of tourists will select Abu Dhabi over Florida, the rest will become a mere escalation of something you could have seen coming miles away. But not to worry, I had the setting in view even as the media seems to be coming up short. In addition Abu Dhabi has the Formula 1® Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 4-7 December 2025. I have no idea yet when the 2026 race is on, but for a lot of people combining the two would be preferable. Also there is a lot more around Yas Island. And the UAE has a much better visa setting where it is offered at a mere fraction of what America offers it. The setting was debatable (at best) when America was the only option, but that hasn’t been the case for almost 4 years. So now as America is bleeding money in almost every direction, the people in Europe, Canada, UK, India, Australia, New Zealand and China will consider Abu Dhabi and Yas Island as their destination in 2026, 2027 and 2028. So how many million of people will seek their preferred choice in EuroDisney (Paris), Efteling (Netherlands) and parks in Belgium, Sweden and several others. A setting that was there from the start. 

A setting that will also propel the UAE as a global tourist destination. They already were that, but the millions of Harry Potter fans had Florida, London and Tokyo in their sight, with Abu Dhabi added to the HP arsenal, I reckon that Florida (at present) is allegedly decently  much done for.

Have a great day and when in Abu Dhabi try the Emirati Chabab, it is a famous dish and decently yummy. 

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April 16, 2025 · 05:43

Mislabelled fear

That is what I saw when I took notice of the news in the Guardian called ‘US’s $2.36tn tourism business fears ‘Trump slump’ over tariff turmoil’ (at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/15/trump-tariffs-tourism-business) we might look at “Warnings emerge even as effect of economic and political turbulence on the foreign visitors to the US is hard to define” I disagree, you see, slices from UK (69 million), Australia (26 million), New Zealand (5 million) are now avoiding America mainly because of the Canada (51st state) issue. We took offense and even as I yearn to see the Epic Universe, I have decided that if I do get to pick a vacation, I will choose Warner Brothers Abu Dhabi over Orlando. I know that Warner Brothers will still see my money, but in this case 70% will go to Miral, a United Arab Emirates operator. In that same trend many will seek out Euro Disney, Parks in Tokyo and a few other places. And this is not for a mere year, this is for the duration of the Trump administration. Some insults are just a little too much to bear. Oh, and the Canadians with their 40 million people are also avoiding America. I didn’t think that it amounted to 5%-10% of $2.36tn but that could be because America insulted a little more than just the Commonwealth setting. Perhaps others see the weak American setting, perhaps the stage of the Ukraine is equally as upsetting as the Commonwealth setting. America has been kicking the wrong legs, just as interest payments of a 36 trillion dollar debt is due, America loses a lot more income. As such there is nothing that is hard to define, it is the cost of doing business and that part is becoming increasingly hard. 

So this fear is mislabeled, the proper labelling is seen as the price of insulting people, the price of neglecting people and as we see Europe taking additional steps like the fear of espionage on their people by Americans, we need to see that this will take years to undo, especially as Orlando just launched the biggest park in human history, 110 acres (45 ha) in the park itself and the overall size is 750 acres (300 ha), which comes at a cost of $7.7 billion to build, which is stated to be one of the largest and most expensive theme parks in history. Now consider what it takes to get this going, the hotels, the retail stores staff and such costing a bundle in its own right. So as we see the $2.36tn and the 10% lessened revenue and a slice is on that part. Epic Universe will do ok, because it will have millions of Americans wanting to see this place, and the use of influencers was well played, they all showed a place that nearly everyone wants to see. As such the lessened revenue will be felt all over America. Because those wanting to see Epic Universe will take their share from the other places. And that is merely one place. A mere fortnight ago we were told “Several nations issued travel warnings about potential safety risks in America, including Japan, Australia and Canada” others will take notice and that is the larger setting for America for now. So what will Comcast Corp. do? Put it all in a bad bank mortgage and loan and write it off? That would be the economic player will do, as such America will lose a hell of a lot of taxation these several years. Another part of the equation shown in a simple setting. What will happen? That is not for me to tell. But that is the setting that the Guardian is seemingly overlooking. 

So as we are given “Warnings that international tourism to the US could be hit by Donald Trump’s effort to re-engineer economic and political relations with the rest of the world are slowly emerging.” With an added “The Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority said last week it was projecting a 5% decline in room tax revenue for its upcoming budget – a decline that may reflect Trump’s trade disputes with Canada and Mexico. Those countries account for 2.6 million visitors to sin city, or half of international travel trade.” As such these two countries account for half the international trade? It seems that America created its own downfall, as I personally see it. And as we see the trend evolve, we need to understand that next year that trend will continue and as Europe, the Commonwealth and others will seek other paths to joy like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Paris (EuroDisney), London,  Beijing, Tokyo and other places, the losses for America will add and add. 

They wanted to overwhelm the tourist industry and due to political pressures, they merely shown the other places that they might be more desirable. As such, the problem wasn’t hard to define, the Americans merely needed to look into themselves and the problem will exasperate. Consider these places and how they rely on international students to get cheap labour, as the BBC reported last week “Marco Rubio says US revoked at least 300 foreign students’ visas”, and that will have a trickle effect on those still seeking international student visas, they are more likely to seek education from other, non-US places. And the top 50 of universities has plenty of offers on the table for its pending international students. This might seem little, but plenty of business rely on the next batch of international students. So as you are sitting in a theme park hoping for a quick coffee, think again, they might be down a number of staff members because this is a short term impact, the term of summer and that is about to hit all the places that rely on the new batch of international students and with them gone their hiring approach needs to change fast. 

All these elements can be foreseen, but are these places taking notice? America is going through huge changes at present and that place is not ready to face the serious impact of the political pressures they tried to set to other nations. These nations are now retaliating in other ways and Canada seeking other location, other drinks and other choices was a mere first step. With Europe joining their homegrown defense spending, America will lose more and more. All this I put in my blog over the last 3-5 years. Even without President Trump the signs were clear, now they are merely escalating revenue losses and that is impacting America in a few ways. Tourism is merely the latter step, but this is the more visible one. It trickles down to nearly every level of the population, still, that might prove fruitful for people who had been unable to find a job. Still the report of a loss of $118B – $236B is not nothing, add to that lessened defense spending and the people not coming now, will hit tourism the clearest, but this loss will go into nearly very level of the American industry and that impacts small businesses a lot more than foreseen. 

This is merely my view on the matter, but I have been writing on these dangers for some time. Have a great day.

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