Disneyland Abu Dhabi, not Bob Iger’s first choice for the Middle East?
Imagine a Disneyland park rising from the golden deserts of Saudi Arabia—colorful castles, iconic rides, and Mickey Mouse waving in the wind. Now imagine that idea getting shut down before it ever left the table.
That’s the stunning rumor now swirling in the wake of Disney’s headline-making announcement to bring a theme park to Abu Dhabi. According to entertainment journalist Matt Belloni, CEO Bob Iger himself reportedly vetoed a proposal for a Saudi Arabian Disneyland—long before giving the green light to the Abu Dhabi deal.
Why did Iger make that call? And what does it say about Disney’s values… or its limits?
The Saudi Deal That Wasn’t: Disneyland Abu Dhabi Moves Forward (But at What Cost?)
In a recent episode of The Town, a podcast hosted by Belloni, the founding partner of Puck News revealed a surprising detail buried within Disney’s international strategy. While discussing the structure of Disney’s new partnership in Abu Dhabi with Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, Belloni dropped this:
“I heard there was a proposal on the table for this to be in Saudi, and Iger vetoed it.”
No formal details of the alleged Saudi proposal have been made public, but Belloni’s comments suggest a real conversation took place behind closed doors—one that ended when Iger stepped in. The CEO reportedly wanted no business ties with the Saudi government, despite the country’s growing push to host Western entertainment giants.
Drawing a Line—But How Bold Is It?
Belloni clarified that Iger had drawn a moral line in the sand, refusing to do business with Saudi Arabia. But then came the twist that’s igniting fierce debate online: Abu Dhabi, the location that did get the park, isn’t that far off ideologically or legally.
“Abu Dhabi is like one step removed,” Belloni added. “They still don’t allow gay people. Homosexuality is illegal, and that’s sort of burning up the Disney message boards this week.”
Disney, a company that champions inclusion and LGBTQ+ representation, is now investing in a country where homosexuality is criminalized. Fans, especially within the LGBTQ+ community, are questioning how genuine the company’s values truly are when money enters the conversation.
This isn’t the first time Disney’s global ambitions have clashed with its core identity. Pixar’s Lightyear—a film that featured a brief same-sex kiss—was famously banned in the UAE. That same country is now being heralded by Iger as the “perfect” place for a new Disneyland.
The irony isn’t lost on fans or critics. Many are pointing out a stark contrast between the public image Disney promotes and the choices it’s making behind the scenes. Is it possible that the decision to avoid Saudi Arabia was more about optics than principles? Lucas Shaw echoed that thought on The Town, noting that Disney has largely avoided widespread backlash in the mainstream press over the Abu Dhabi deal—despite its human rights concerns.
A Strategic but Sensitive Expansion
To be fair, Disney has been eyeing the Middle East for years. Iger himself stated that the company began exploring opportunities in the region back in 2017. But only after his return to the CEO seat in 2022 did things pick up momentum, culminating in the Abu Dhabi deal.
The UAE offers more commercial infrastructure, stability, and tourism appeal compared to Saudi Arabia, where cultural shifts are happening but slowly. Perhaps the decision was part moral, part financial—but the line remains blurry.
Still, the partnership raises difficult questions about whether Disney can remain a beacon of progressive storytelling while expanding into countries that challenge those values at their core.
What This Means for Disneyland Abu Dhabi—and Fans
The rumored Saudi Arabia proposal adds a whole new layer of complexity to Disney’s global playbook. If true, it shows that moral considerations still factor into leadership decisions—but only to a point.
With the Abu Dhabi project moving forward and Iger publicly praising the region, fans are left wrestling with what it all really means. Is Disney setting a new global standard—or quietly compromising its message for market share?
As the company continues to build its global empire, it faces a tough balancing act: choosing between upholding values that have earned it decades of loyalty or expanding into places that may contradict those very principles.
One thing is clear—the story of Disney’s next park isn’t just about where it’s being built, but why it’s being built there.
Source: BlogMickey
