Tag Archives: Miral

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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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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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.

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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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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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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