Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi has finally revealed the three lands that will make up its huge Harry Potter expansion - and the scale of the project is considerably bigger than the single themed area originally announced.
Diagon Alley, Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest will all form part of the new Wizarding World destination on Yas Island, covering approximately 63,000 square metres and featuring Harry Potter rides created exclusively for Abu Dhabi.
Three Harry Potter lands are coming to Abu Dhabi
Miral and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences confirmed the full line-up on 7 September, following a series of teasers culminating in the appearance of the enchanted Ford Anglia flying towards Warner Bros. World.
The development will consist of three distinct environments: Diagon Alley, Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest.
Together, they will span around 678,000 square feet, turning the previously announced Harry Potter project into one of the most significant expansions in Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi's history.
Construction work is being targeted for completion in 2029, although an official opening date has not yet been announced.
Diagon Alley and Hogwarts under one roof
One of the most interesting aspects of the project is the combination of locations being brought together inside a single park.
Diagon Alley will recreate Harry's introduction to the wider wizarding world, while Hogwarts will bring the iconic school of witchcraft and wizardry to Yas Island.
Unlike existing Harry Potter theme park destinations, the Abu Dhabi development will bring these environments together alongside a full Forbidden Forest land within the same indoor park.
Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is already entirely indoors and climate-controlled, meaning the new Harry Potter areas will also offer a very different experience from the outdoor Wizarding World lands found elsewhere around the world.
The Forbidden Forest could be the most interesting land
The biggest surprise of the announcement may be the Forbidden Forest.
Rather than appearing simply as part of an attraction or a transitional themed area, the location has been confirmed as one of the project's three full lands.
The Forbidden Forest plays host to some of the Wizarding World's most recognisable creatures, including centaurs, unicorns, giant spiders and thestrals, giving designers plenty of possibilities when it comes to attractions and immersive environments.
The Ford Anglia has also featured prominently throughout the campaign teasing the announcement. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the car famously enters the Forbidden Forest and later rescues Harry and Ron from Aragog's spiders.
That has inevitably raised speculation that the vehicle could form part of one of the area's attractions, although importantly, no Ford Anglia ride has currently been announced.
World-exclusive Harry Potter rides confirmed
While individual attractions have not yet been named, Miral has confirmed that the expansion will include Harry Potter-themed rides created exclusively for Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.
That means the project will not simply reproduce the attraction line-up already familiar from Universal's Wizarding World destinations.
Exactly how many rides will feature across the three lands remains unconfirmed, and Warner Bros. and Miral are keeping the attraction details under wraps for now.
Further announcements are expected as construction progresses towards its targeted 2029 completion.
A huge expansion for Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi
The Harry Potter project forms part of a much wider expansion underway at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.
The park currently contains six major themed areas, including Gotham City, Metropolis, Bedrock and Cartoon Junction.
Alongside Harry Potter, two previously announced DC attractions - Kryptonite Collider and Superman Up and Away - are also being developed.
Combined, the new projects are expected to add around 70,000 square metres of additional theme park space and significantly expand Warner Bros. World's existing footprint.
Yas Island is becoming an increasingly important theme park destination
The reveal arrives during a period of enormous investment across Yas Island.
Warner Bros. World already sits alongside Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld and SeaWorld Yas Island, while Miral is also working with Disney on a new theme park resort for Abu Dhabi.
Adding a large-scale Harry Potter destination gives Yas Island another globally recognised franchise and potentially another major reason for international theme park fans to build Abu Dhabi into a wider holiday.
For enthusiasts, however, the most interesting part is that this does not currently look like a copy-and-paste Wizarding World.
Three distinct lands, an entirely indoor environment and attractions designed specifically for Abu Dhabi give the project the opportunity to do something genuinely different with Harry Potter in a theme park.
We still need to see the rides, layouts and first proper concept artwork before knowing exactly how ambitious it will be - but after years of waiting since the project was first announced, we finally have a much clearer idea of just how big Harry Potter's arrival in Abu Dhabi is going to be.
