Meet The Man Giving A Magic Touch To The Middle East's Theme Park Industry
Key takeaways
- Hollywood & Entertainment Meet The Man Giving A Magic Touch To The Middle East's Theme Park Industry By Caroline Reid,
- In just the past decade it has opened new parks containing attractions themed to many of the biggest brands in entertainment including Warner Bros., DC Comics, SeaWorld, Marvel Comics and Dreamworks.
- Despite the Middle East being gripped by war since the end of February there is no evidence that the curtain has come down on any of the planned projects.
Hollywood & Entertainment Meet The Man Giving A Magic Touch To The Middle East's Theme Park Industry By Caroline Reid,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Caroline Reid covers the entertainment industry Follow Author Jun 26, 2026, 06:45am EDTSummary The Middle East is witnessing unprecedented theme park growth, fueled by Vision 2030 plans to diversify economies beyond fossil fuels. Major brands like Warner Bros. and Sea World have opened, with Harry Potter and Disney attractions set to join. Abu Dhabi's Yas Island attracts millions of visitors each year. To support this booming sector, the themed entertainment trade body IAAPA has launched a MENA office, led by industry veteran Mike Rigby. Rigby, who helped develop the region's record-breaking water parks, now focuses on helping the rest of the industry. Despite staffing challenges, the industry sees vast opportunities in creating shared experiences, driving tourism, and fostering mixed-use developments.
The man behind some of the Middle East's top water park attractions is bringing his expertise to the region's new theme park body.MSMFew markets have experienced such rapid growth in the theme park industry as the Middle East. In just the past decade it has opened new parks containing attractions themed to many of the biggest brands in entertainment including Warner Bros., DC Comics, SeaWorld, Marvel Comics and Dreamworks. Harry Potter and Disney attractions are set to join them while Universal is rumoured to be on the way too. Even Orlando can't hold a candle to that line up and it takes more than the wave of a magic wand to pull it off.