In all of the craziness in the past weeks I guess I forgot to mention this - on Sept 26 Warner Brothers and two Abu Dhabi companies (ALDAR Properties and the newly established Abu Dhabi Media Co.) agreed to build a theme park, hotel and several multiplex cinemas in Abu Dhabi.

Warner will help design the theme park, while ALDAR will oversee the construction, which is expected to break ground in 2009 and open in 2011.

Warner will also jointly finance a $500-million fund for making movies and a similar $500-million fund for developing and publishing video games with Abu Dhabi Media.

Lastly, Warner Bros. International Cinemas will develop, design and manage the jointly owned multiplex cinemas across Abu Dhabi that will have themes based on the studio's characters and movie titles. Initial plans call for the construction of four cinemas in An Ruwais, Al Lain City, Yas Island and the Central Market development in Abu Dhabi.

Huh. Abu Dhabi.

Really?

Abu Dhabi gets the Road Runner, Superman and some crusty old museum (see Abu Dhabi Louvre) while Dubai gets ... darn near everything else. As you'll recall, in the last year alone Dubai's struck deals with Paramount (see Paramount Park in Dubai), Universal Studios (see Universal Studio Dubai) and Marvel Comics (see Marvel Comic Theme Park ... in Dubai).

I do believe all that's missing is a mouse.

So Mickey, wanna come play in the desert?