Disneyland Paris will be home to the world’s second Avengers Campus, a theme park dedicated to recruiting and training the next generation of Marvel superheroes.
To be launched as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of Disneyland Paris, the Marvel Cinematic Universe–themed park will open on July 20, a full year after the first Avengers Campus was inaugurated in Disneyland in California.
The announcement for the opening of the new campus was made by none other than Tony Stark himself. In a short CGI clip published on the official YouTube channel of Disneyland Paris, Stark is seen in his Iron Man suit, broadcasting a message through his AI assistant Friday.
“I know we’re going to interrupt a lot of cat videos, but this is important,” he says in the clip.
“After all we’ve been through, I realise that the world needs more heroes, and guess what? I’m working on a campus for training the next generation of heroes right here, in Paris I mean. Let’s face it, I can’t be everywhere at once.”
The Marvel Avengers Campus will be located in Walt Disney Studios Park, the second of two themed parks in Disneyland Paris. It will feature surprise live-action stunts and heroic encounters with superheroes such as Spider-Man, Black Widow, Black Panther, Thor and Loki as well as the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Sam Wilson as Captain America, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Okoye and the Dora Milaje from Wakanda will also make their first appearance at Disneyland Paris. The park will also house rides as well as themed restaurants and boutique stores.
The campus interweaves with the plot of Marvel films — albeit in an oblique way. Events on the campus take place in a timeline of the multiverse different from the main one seen in the films. This means the campus is set after The Blip, when victims of Thanos’s cataclysmic snap were resurrected after the Avengers defeated the alien warlord.
“We’re post-The Blip,” said Beth Clapperton, creative director of Walt Disney Imagineering in Paris. “So, we’ve come back.”
The films, however, will not be a subject of discussion at the campus. In fact, while you’re there, Clapperton said it’s better to forget them and just immerse yourself in a world inhabited by web-slingers and Asgardian gods.
“We’re never going to talk about Marvel or the films on the campus because you’re in the campus and those people are real. There's going to be a lot of action, a lot of activation. And that's what we know that our recruits want when they come into the campus. They want to feel part of what the Avengers and that superhero world can offer," she said.
What to expect
Entering Avengers Campus, guests will become recruits and train alongside Spider-Man, Iron Man or Captain Marvel in a new dedicated Training Centre.
New recruits of all ages will be able to encounter heroes throughout their visit. They will get the chance to train with Black Panther’s loyal protectors, the Dora Milaje, and learn from the warriors of Wakanda on what it’s like to be a member of the elite royal guard.
Also, a sleek new high-tech Avengers vehicle will roam the Campus throughout the day, dispatching the heroes in style. Meanwhile, up on the QuinPad, the gleaming Quinjet will also be the focal point of special missions.
Saving the world can also be fun as recruits will have a chance to try on their best dance moves during an interactive dance-off with Star-Lord and Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy.
In a Disneyland Paris exclusive, Stark’s Friday will welcome recruits to the campus, monitor it for threats and signal the arrivals and departures of Avengers.
The rides on campus
The Avengers Campus features two action-themed attractions, including the first Avengers Assemble: Flight Force. The high-octane roller coaster will have recruits team up with Captain Marvel and Iron Man, who will sport a brand-new Mark 80 armour exclusively designed for his missions at Avengers Campus.
Recruits will embark and fly up through space in a vehicle that Stark has equipped with a homing device, to lure the yet-to-be-revealed threat away from Earth.
Spider-Man Web Adventure, meanwhile, is an attraction where recruits will be given web-slinging superpowers.
Through specially designed, innovative technology that recognises body movements and gestures, recruits will reach out their hands and sling webs from their wrists, just like Spider-Man. The mission is to team up with Spidey and help capture the out-of-control Spider-Bots — Peter Parker’s robot sidekicks — before they wreak havoc on the campus.
Food options
You’ll notice a few familiar names when it’s time to take a break from the heroics and grab a bite.
Pym Kitchen is an innovation science lab where the food and drinks tell a story. Just as Ant-Man and the Wasp use “Pym Particles” to grow and shrink just about anything, Pym Technologies applies this science to the creation of shareable bites, inventive entrees and sweet treats as a buffet.
Recruits will be able to savour items at unusual scales, including gigantic shareable pretzel sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, vegetables, cakes and the tiniest, cutest versions of the food for those who wish to try everything.
Stark Factory is a quick-service restaurant where recruits refuelling will get to enjoy a cooking show experience with home-made pizzas fresh from the pizzaiolos’ oven, including vegetarian options, salads and a choice of fresh pasta.
Meanwhile, the Web — Worldwide Eating Brigade — food truck will be run by the Web workshop's inventors and serve a variety of Asian noodles and coconut balls. The Fan-tastic Food Truck, a favourite of Tony Stark’s, will be parked nearby, serving New York-style hot dogs.
Avengers Campus will also be home to the Super Diner, a small traditional American restaurant serving Reuben sandwiches — a signature North American recipe made with corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut, and a savoury dressing, grilled between slices of rye bread.
What's next?
A forthcoming MCU-theme park is currently being developed at Disneyland Hong Kong, which will replace a portion of the Tomorrowland segment of the park. Clapperton said she hopes to see the parks expand along with the MCU.
“I would love the Avengers Campus to grow as the Marvel Universe grows, you know, as we understand more and more about the different people that could be in the Avengers,” she said.
“The campus is on a different thread of the multiverse. And as we can see, the multiverse is opening up many different portals."
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
Company%20profile
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Company%20profile
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
At a glance
Fixtures All matches start at 9.30am, at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free
Thursday UAE v Ireland; Saturday UAE v Ireland; Jan 21 UAE v Scotland; Jan 23 UAE v Scotland
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (c), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
MO
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The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
McIlroy's struggles in 2016/17
European Tour: 6 events, 16 rounds, 5 cuts, 0 wins, 3 top-10s, 4 top-25s, 72,5567 points, ranked 16th
PGA Tour: 8 events, 26 rounds, 6 cuts, 0 wins, 4 top-10s, 5 top-25s, 526 points, ranked 71st
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE