Miral, the leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences in Abu Dhabi, and its destinations achieved new records by clinching an impressive collection of over 170 regional and international accolades in 2023, further solidifying Yas Island and Saadiyat Island as leading destinations for excellence and innovation.
This year Yas Island witnessed a remarkable milestone for the world-renowned leisure and entertainment destination, amassing over 130 prestigious awards and in parallel success, Saadiyat Island experienced a noteworthy triumph, culminating in an impressive array of over 40 prestigious awards. Recognized as the premier beach destination in the Middle East, the island has garnered widespread acclaim for its world-class resorts, iconic cultural attractions, and dining establishments.
HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Miral, said: “Achieving a stellar track record of success across the tourism ecosystem within Abu Dhabi is a proud testament to our relentless commitment in bolstering Abu Dhabi’s position as a global tourism hub. Award-winning destinations and attractions across Yas Island and Saadiyat Island continue to define new industry benchmarks while contributing to the growth and economic diversification of the Emirate.”
Yas Island and its leading theme parks have garnered widespread international acclaim
In 2023, Yas Island achieved several prestigious honors, including recognition from the World Travel Awards as ‘World’s Leading Theme Park Destination’, the International Travel Awards as the ‘Best Holiday Destination’ at the regional and continental levels, along with the esteemed title of ‘Best Entertainment Destination’ at the country level. Furthermore, it received the MENALAC 2023 award for being the ‘Best-integrated Leisure Destination’.
The island’s iconic theme parks extensively received significant acclaims. Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi proudly won ‘World’s Leading Theme Park’ for the fifth year in a row at World Travel Awards and achieved the title of ‘Thrills’ at the Blooloop Innovation Awards 2023. Adding to the accolades, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi was awarded a Silver for ‘Innovation in the Use of Events’ at the MENA Stevie Awards, underscoring the park’s commitment to innovative event execution. Simultaneously, Yas Waterworld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi was honored as the ‘Middle East’s Leading Water Park’ at the World Travel Awards, while Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi earned the title of the ‘Middle East’s Leading Tourist Attraction’ at the World Travel Awards and CLYMB Yas Island, Abu Dhabi secured the distinguished title of the ‘Middle East’s Leading Adventure Tourist Attraction 2023’.
Yas Island’s campaigns win big in 2023
Reaffirming the island’s stature as the leading destination for leisure and entertainment, Yas Island sets the bar high with its award-winning campaigns that continuously captivate audiences, leaving them eagerly anticipating what’s next. Notably, Yas Island’s campaigns received top PR industry awards, securing the ‘Best Integrated Campaign’ accolade with a gold win in Bahrain and a bronze win in Kuwait during this year’s MEPRA Awards, for its latest GCC campaign in collaboration with the Miami Band. Additionally, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi took home the ‘Best Use of Limited Budget’ at the MEPRA Awards for their campaign with Etihad Airways – Taken by Surprise. The year also witnessed Yas Island securing four EFFIE Awards MENA across various categories. These included an outstanding bronze win in Season Marketing for their campaign ‘Yas Yas Baby’, along with a bronze win in Travel, Tourism and Transportation for their latest campaign in partnership with Miami Band ‘Let’s Meet Again on Yas Island’.
The campaign wins do not stop there, Yas Island and its renowned theme parks achieved a remarkable five wins at the 2023 MENA Stevie Awards. The island’s highly successful #SummerOnYas campaign received the coveted Gold Award for ‘Innovation in Media Relations’. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi celebrated dual victories with Gold Awards in ‘Innovation in the Use of Media Relations’, recognizing their collaboration with Etihad Airways, and another for ‘Innovation in Consumer Events’, honoring the success of the family-friendly ‘Batman Run’. This event was organized as part of ‘The Batman Season’ in conjunction with the release of the DC movie ‘The Batman’.
The latest entertainment addition on Yas Island has achieved remarkable success
SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the island’s newest theme park, has made a significant impact in just a few months since its inauguration. The marine life theme park has garnered widespread acclaim, earning the prestigious ‘Award in Outstanding Achievement’ at the esteemed TEA Awards, a recognition considered one of the highest honors in the themed experience industry.
Adding to its list of accolades, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, celebrated for its fascinating ocean theme, also achieved the title of ‘Best Use of Theming’ at the Park World Excellence Awards. Notably, the park’s standout ride, Hypersphere 360, earned the distinguished honor of ‘Best Dark Ride or Media-Based Attraction’. Additionally, it recently achieved recognition at the Blooloop Innovation Awards as it won second place in the ‘Themed Environment’ category.
The rapid and impressive recognition garnered by SeaWorld Abu Dhabi highlights its impact and success within a short span, solidifying its position as a prominent player in the entertainment landscape of Yas Island.
Yas Island’s prestigious accolades in lifestyle and dining
Earning widespread acclaim as a leading destination for lifestyle and dining enthusiasts, Yas Island truly stands out. One of its crown jewels is the Yas Bay Waterfront, a collection of award-winning dining venues that have collectively earned an impressive tally of 16 prestigious awards. These accolades hail from esteemed outlets such as the What’s On Awards, Time Out Abu Dhabi Awards and the FACT Dining Awards, underlining the island’s reputation for excellence.
Further contributing to Yas Island’s accolades is the Hilton Abu Dhabi, Yas Island, which proudly secured the prestigious title of ‘Best Business Hotel in Abu Dhabi 2023’ at the Business Traveller Awards 2023. Similarly, the WB™ Hotel clinched the esteemed title of ‘Middle East’s Leading Theme Park Hotel 2023’ at the World Travel Awards.
Nestled among these esteemed hotels is the W Abu Dhabi Yas Island, a standout in its own right with four notable awards to its name this year. Notably, it garnered recognition for ‘Favorite Brunch’ at the What’s On Awards, specifically for the B.I.G – Brunch In Garage, solidifying its position as a premier dining destination on the island.
Yas Island’s other attractions also received their fair share of wins. Yas Links secured the title of ‘UAE’s Best Golf Course’ at the World Golf Awards. Additionally, Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management claimed victory in the categories of ‘Favorite Concert, Show, or Festival’ for Post Malone at Etihad Park at the What’s On Awards and ‘Best Use of Digital and Social Media in Sports’ for Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the SPIA awards, among others.
As for Etihad Arena, it earned two accolades in 2023. The venue was named the ‘Winner in the Sports and Recreation category’ at the 2023 International Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum and was also recognized as a finalist for ‘Venue of the Year’ at the 2023 The Stadium Business Awards.
Saadiyat Island achieves exceptional results in 2023
The accolades began pouring in with Saadiyat Beach Club, claiming the title of ‘Best Beach Club in Abu Dhabi’ at the FACT Spa & Wellness Awards Abu Dhabi 2023’. Notably, it also clinched the What’s On Award for ‘Favorite Sundowner Spot 2023’ and ‘Favorite Daycation 2023’. Nurai Island proudly received the title of ‘Best Leading Villa Resort 2023’ at the esteemed World Travel Awards.
The island’s leading hotels left an indelible mark across diverse industry categories. Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort emerged triumphant with four prestigious titles at the World Travel Awards, including ‘Abu Dhabi’s Leading Resort 2023’ and ‘World’s Leading Luxury Resort & Villas’. Additionally, Tean at Jumeirah Saadiyat Island Resort secured a win at the World Culinary Awards 2023 for ‘Abu Dhabi’s Best Hotel Restaurant 2023’, among other recognitions.
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas celebrated an impressive total of eight awards this year. Noteworthy wins include the Time Out Abu Dhabi Restaurant Awards 2023 for ‘Best Outdoor – Beach House’, FACT Dining Awards Abu Dhabi 2023 for ‘Best Alfresco Dining – Beach House’ and the World Travel Awards for ‘Abu Dhabi’s Leading Beach Resort 2023’, among numerous others.
Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island also shone brightly with four prestigious awards, securing the ‘Favorite Resort Spa in Abu Dhabi’ at the FACT Spa & Wellness Awards for its renowned Anjana Spa. It further received honors at the World Travel Awards as ‘Abu Dhabi’s Leading Family Resort’ and the ‘Middle East’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort’.
The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi made a lasting impression with the Royal Suite winning ‘Abu Dhabi’s Leading Hotel Suite 2023’ at the World Travel Awards, along with six additional awards. Meanwhile, Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas also received several accolades, particularly for its exceptional dining experiences, including the highly commended ‘Best Buffet Brunch’ at the Time Out Abu Dhabi Awards 2023 for Sim Sim Restaurant.
Memorable recognitions
Miral Destinations, a subsidiary of Miral and promotional arm of Yas Island Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi, received its well-deserved recognition through a series of prestigious awards in 2023.
One notable achievement was YasIsland.com’s recognition as the ‘Best MENA SEO Campaign 2023’ at the Global Search Awards, highlighting Miral’s prowess in digital marketing strategies.
A testament to its unwavering commitment to customer experience excellence, Miral Destinations clinched four significant wins at the International Customer Experience Awards 2023. Noteworthy among these were the Silver award for ‘Best Learning & Development’ and the Bronze for ‘Best Use of Technology’.
Additionally, Miral Destinations was recognized as the ‘Best Destinations Promoter UAE 2023’ at the International Business Magazine Awards, further affirming its position as a trailblazing promoter of unparalleled destinations within the UAE.