A US$1bn (€882m, £698m) Warner Bros theme park on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island has been officially confirmed by the global entertainment company and developers Miral. A Warner Bros branded hotel is also to be built on the site.

Construction is well underway with the park slated to open in 2018. A wide range of Warner Bros’ global IPs will feature at the park and hotel, including DC Comics characters like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman and cartoon favourites like Bugs Bunny and Scooby Doo. It appears these will be incorporated into Gotham City, Metropolis, Looney Toons and Hanna-Barbera themed zones.

Attractions Management reported in July last year that AECOM and Thinkwell Group are among those working on the project.

The Miral owned and operated Yas Island is one of the Middle East’s major leisure and entertainment destinations, boasting Yas Waterworld, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, a concert hall, golf course and variety of hotels, restaurants and retail offers. Yas Island attracts 25 million visitors a year, with Miral predicting an increase to 30 million with the opening of Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi.

“It is incredibly exciting to announce that we are bringing the iconic Warner Bros brand to Yas Island,” said Miral chair Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak. “It’s a milestone in the emirate’s journey to put Abu Dhabi on the global map and become one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.

“By meeting the global, regional and local demand for a world-class entertainment destination, supported by an equally world-class travel and tourism infrastructure, we are fulfilling our ambition to drive visitor numbers and enrich the UAE’s appeal as a truly international destination that appeals to both residents and travelling guests. Miral is central to this development, with a number of significant and exciting projects in the pipeline,” Al Mubarak said.

Working with our partners at Miral, we’ll bring this expertise to Yas Island, one of the world’s leading entertainment destinations, to create a fully-interactive, innovative and unique experience that will allow fans of all ages to experience the most exciting aspects of Warner Bros. in a completely immersive environment,” added Kevin Tsujihara, chair and CEO of Warner Bros Entertainment.

Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs for the emirate.