Harry Potter in Abu Dhabi: Hogwarts, Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest under construction at Warner Bros. World

Construction has started on three Harry Potter lands at Warner Bros. World on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi: Hogwarts, Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest. Together they cover about 63,000 sq m. Miral and Warner Bros. Discovery announced the start of work on 7 September 2026, with construction targeted for completion in 2029.

What exactly is being built at Warner Bros. World?

Three themed lands with a combined area of about 63,000 sq m: Hogwarts Castle, the shopping street Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest. The park promises rides that exist nowhere else in the world.

Warner Bros. World is an indoor, air-conditioned park. The castle and Diagon Alley will sit under one roof, which no other park based on the franchise offers.

• Area: about 63,000 sq m.
• Lands: three — Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, the Forbidden Forest.
• Format: entirely indoors.
• Start of construction announced on 7 September 2026.

When will Harry Potter open in Abu Dhabi?

No opening date has been announced. The park's own website gives 2029 as the target for completing construction. Some reports citing Miral mention 2028, so the safer reading is: not before 2029.

The project has a long history. A single Harry Potter land was first announced in November 2022. It was mentioned again in May 2026, and by September the plan had grown to three lands.

Why does this matter for the whole industry?

It is the first permanent Harry Potter attraction outside a Universal park. Universal has held the franchise's theme park rights since 2007. Abu Dhabi becomes the first exception and the first address in the Middle East.

Warner Bros. World currently has six lands: Warner Bros. Plaza, Bedrock, Dynamite Gulch, Cartoon Junction, Gotham City and Metropolis.

Who is paying for it?

The project is led by Miral, the state-owned company that develops Yas Island. The investment in the Harry Potter lands has not been disclosed. What is known is that Miral is putting more than AED 12bn into the island over five years, on top of the Disney park.

Miral chairman Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak called the lands a significant milestone for the island and the emirate. We broke down the programme in our piece on Miral's AED 12bn.

What else opens on Yas Island by 2030?

Three large launches converge at the end of the decade: the Harry Potter lands, the 20,000-capacity Sphere and Miral's new hotels. Disneyland is not on that schedule yet, because it has no date.

Venue	Timing	What is known
Harry Potter, Warner Bros. World	target 2029	three lands, 63,000 sq m
Sphere Abu Dhabi	end of 2029	$1.7bn, 20,000 capacity
Miral hotels and attractions	five years	AED 12bn, 30–35% more rooms
Disneyland Abu Dhabi	no date	design stage

More on the venue in Sphere Abu Dhabi on Yas Island.

What does it mean for property owners on Yas?

More reasons to visit mean more days a tourist spends on the island. Yas hotels ran at 92% occupancy in August 2026, which is low season. Annual-pass sales for the parks rose 20%.

For short-term lets that is a direct gain. There is a counterweight: Miral is adding a third more hotel rooms. Apartments deep inside the island will compete with them harder than homes by the waterfront and the parks.

Buy for an attraction's opening only if the property stands up without it. Megaprojects slip, and "2029" easily becomes 2030.

Frequently asked questions

Where in Abu Dhabi will Harry Potter be?

At Warner Bros. World on Yas Island. It is an indoor theme park next to Ferrari World and Yas Mall, about ten minutes from Zayed International Airport.

Is it a separate park or part of an existing one?

Part of an existing one. Three lands covering about 63,000 sq m are being added to Warner Bros. World, which currently has six lands.

How much does the project cost?

The figure has not been disclosed. Only Miral's overall programme for Yas Island is public: more than AED 12bn over five years for attractions and hotels.

Will Harry Potter open before Disneyland?

On the announced timelines, yes. The Harry Potter lands target construction completion in 2029, while Disneyland has no date and is still in design.