The first SeaWorld to be established outside the United States will launch in Abu Dhabi in 2022.
The site will have an animal rescue and rehabilitation center, which will open ahead of the park. Visitors will get to experience ocean conservation, the park's main focus, officials said, according to The National.
SeaWorld will bring an international standard of rehabilitation for wildlife to the United Arab Emirates, said Mohamed Al Zaabi, Chief executive of Miral, which is backing the project.
Zaabi also said that while the plan is still in the early stages, Miral is "opening the window to an international company with more than 1,500 experts who have rescued about 28,000 animals over 30 years."
SeaWorld and the Miral Assessment Management in Abu Dhabi have been discussing opening the park since 2011.
SeaWorld in Abu Dhabi is planning to go in a new direction, which will happen in two ways.
The first is the education of visitors on vulnerable ocean animals, such as the local dugong, a species related to the manatee. The UAE has the second largest population of this endangered species in the world.
The second direction is the exclusion of orcas from the theme park in Abu Dhabi.
"This gives us a chance to position the new SeaWorld in a very strong way, repositioning it from a company that’s only about certain species to a company that is focused on ocean health," Joe Manby, SeaWorld chief executive said.
SeaWorld has faced significant criticism from animal rights groups in the US for its treatment of orcas and other marine animals.
The project is still in the very early stages, and will be licensed by both brands; SeaWorld and Miral.
The Abu Dhabi location strives to have both an aquarium and theme-park attractions to bring visitors from the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe.
