- Miral has invested over AED 9 billion to position Yas Island as a top global destination for entertainment and leisure
DUBAI, UAE, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Miral, Abu Dhabi's leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences, unveils its forward-looking strategic roadmap at this year's edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM). Aligning with ATM 2022's focus on international travel and tourism, Miral will be announcing upcoming projects and demonstrating its commitment to enhancing Abu Dhabi's leisure and entertainment offering, while helping reinforce the capital's position as a global tourism hub and contributing to the emirate's economic growth and diversification vision.
During its first decade, Miral has invested over AED 9 billion into developing world-class attractions and experiences on Yas Island, in partnership with global industry giants such as Ferrari, and Warner Bros., positioning it as a top global destination for entertainment and leisure.
Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, CEO of Miral, said: "We are delighted to take part in Arabian Travel Market 2022, which provides us with the perfect opportunity to showcase Miral – past, present and future. From the evolution of Yas Island into a global destination, a continuous source of pride, to our recent appointment to oversee Saadiyat's Destination Management Strategy, we look forward to building more immersive attractions, world-class destinations, and enhanced guest experiences as we contribute to Abu Dhabi's tourism growth and position it as a global destination for visitors from all around the world."
In 2011, Miral embarked on a bold mission of prompting a monumental shift in the UAE capital's leisure and entertainment landscape on Yas Island. Miral developed world-class attractions and destinations and created top-tier guest experiences like no other. Conceptualising and building some of the UAE's most immersive, popular attractions, Miral has also supported the creation of some of Abu Dhabi's most iconic cultural landmarks.
Consequentially, Yas Island re-emerged in the ever-dynamic global tourism ecosystem as one of the UAE's biggest touristic draws, attracting visitors from all over the world with its diverse mix of award-winning leisure and entertainment experiences.
In 2020-2021 alone, Miral delivered multiple projects on the island, expanding its portfolio of world-class destinations, and creating more unique experiences and attractions for visitors from the region and around the world.
Located on the southern end of Yas Island, Yas Bay, an iconic mixed-use development that comprises three distinct but integrated areas: Yas Bay Waterfront, The Residences at Yas Bay and Yas Creative Hub, plays a key role in the continued growth of the island.
In 2021, Miral opened Abu Dhabi's leading waterfront destination, Yas Bay Waterfront, a three-kilometre hotspot that offers visitors day-to-night dining, internationally acclaimed entertainment, and premier leisure experiences. Also located on the waterfront and developed by Miral is Etihad Arena, the Middle East's largest state-of-the-art indoor entertainment venue and five-star resort hotel, Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island. The destination provides visitors with an unrivalled experience through its holistic offering.
Miral's hospitality offerings are second to none, providing guests with superb accommodation from the most loved brands to create everlasting memories. In 2021, Miral also opened DoubleTree by Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island Residences and the WB Abu Dhabi Hotel, the world's first Warner Bros.-branded hotel.
As part of its efforts to enhance the customer experience and create a seamlessly connected destination of world-class theme parks and attractions on Yas Island, Miral set forth on a digital transformation journey in 2018 with the launch of MyConnect, a foundational digital platform that provides robust digital capabilities, enabling a hyper-connected and immersive visitor experience. In 2021, and to accelerate the transformation, Miral launched FacePass, a cutting-edge contactless technology that utilizes facial recognition to streamline guest experiences and its Decision Analytics strategy, the Noor Initiative. This initiative aims to enhance the company's investment in predictive data analytics, and integrate innovation across its operations, bolstering its contribution to Abu Dhabi's position as a data-driven capital
In 2022, Miral has welcomed another decade, set to be marked with accomplishments of great magnitude, with milestones which reflect a renewed promise through integrated destinations. The most recent growth journey has begun with Miral's appointment by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) to oversee Saadiyat Island's Destination Management Strategy.
Further strengthening Abu Dhabi's position as a destination of distinctive cultural developments on Saadiyat Island, Miral has partnered with DCT Abu Dhabi to conceive and develop the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, set to be completed in 2025. Housing some of the rarest specimens on the planet, the museum's galleries will span 13.8 billion years through time and space, from the beginnings of the universe to a glimpse at its possible future.
Looking ahead, on Yas Island, a partnership between Miral and SeaWorld® Parks & Entertainment will see the expansion of Abu Dhabi's leisure and educational offering with the opening of SeaWorld® Abu Dhabi, which is set for completion in 2022. The next-generation marine life park built across 183,000 sqm will comprise Yas SeaWorld Research and Rescue Center (YSWRRC), the first-of-its-kind dedicated marine research, rescue, rehabilitation and return centre in the world.
As 2022 marks a new chapter for the region's travel and tourism sector, Miral's initiatives and projects in the next decade will be rooted in fostering evolved guest experiences and underscored by a relentless commitment to advancing the capital's tourism industry in line with the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030.
