Earlier this year Abu Dhabi rolled out the red carpet for actor Jamie Foxx, reportedly regaling the Hollywood star with security guards, paramedics and even a food taster when he was in the Middle Eastern city filming The Kingdom, a big-budget action thriller about the war on terror.

This week, the United Arab Emirates’ capital extended its welcome to Warner Brothers, one of Holly­wood’s largest studios, signing a wide-ranging partnership that includes local film and video game financing, a theme park, hotel and cinemas. “Hollywood – it’s a dream,” said Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, chairman of Aldar, the local real estate group that will become Warner’s partner.