The UAE has strengthened its position as a central participant within the international tourism trade, attaining record-breaking outcomes throughout journey, hospitality, and aviation.
The sector contributed AED257.3bn ($70.1bn) to the nationwide financial system in 2024, representing 13 per cent of GDP — a 3.2 per cent enhance in comparison with 2023 and 26 per cent larger than pre-pandemic ranges in 2019.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Financial system and Tourism and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, highlighted the milestones forward of World Tourism Day on twenty seventh September.
UAE tourism development
He famous the launch of the UAE Tourism Technique 2031 and the election of Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais as the primary Emirati to function Secretary-Common of the UN World Tourism Organisation for the 2026–2029 time period.
The UAE additionally ranked among the many high seven international locations for worldwide vacationer spending and achieved main positions in aviation competitiveness indicators, notably the High quality of Air Transport Infrastructure index.
Customer spending mirrored this momentum, with worldwide vacationers contributing AED217.3bn ($59.2bn) in 2024, up 5.8 per cent from 2023 and 30.4 per cent larger than 2019.
Home tourism spending reached AED57.6bn ($15.7bn), rising 2.4 per cent year-on-year and 41 per cent in comparison with 2019.
Resort revenues reached practically AED45bn ($12.3bn) in 2024, with occupancy at 78 per cent — among the many highest globally.
The nation hosted round 30.75m resort friends final yr, a 9.5 per cent enhance from 28.08m in 2023, attaining 77 per cent of the nationwide goal of 40m annual friends.
The momentum prolonged into 2025, with greater than 16m resort friends recorded within the first half, a 5.5 per cent enhance from H1 2024.
Resort revenues in the identical interval reached AED26bn ($7.1bn), up 6.3 per cent. The UAE now operates 1,243 inns with over 216,000 rooms, with 16 new properties added in 2024.
Projections counsel visitor numbers might attain 33 million in 2025, with revenues anticipated to develop 7 per cent year-on-year.
Aviation stays a cornerstone of the UAE’s tourism success. Passenger site visitors by UAE airports exceeded 1bn between 2015 and 2024, with plane actions rising to over 6.4m.
Worldwide customer arrivals grew from 15m in 2014 to greater than 29m in 2024. Within the first eight months of 2025 alone, airports dealt with 102.9m passengers, up 5.3 per cent from the identical interval in 2024.
Infrastructure funding is protecting tempo. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, just lately accepted the designs for the brand new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum Worldwide Airport.
Valued at AED128bn ($34.8bn), the ability is ready to change into the world’s largest, with a capability of 260m passengers.
Tourism investments rose from AED28.8bn ($7.8bn) in 2023 to AED32.2bn ($8.8bn) in 2024, with projections of AED35.2bn ($9.6bn) in 2025. Campaigns such because the “World’s Coolest Winter” initiative have additionally delivered robust outcomes, producing round AED6.7bn ($1.8bn) in resort revenues over 5 editions and reaching greater than 1.2bn individuals globally.
The UAE is additional strengthening its worldwide position by internet hosting the UAE Africa Tourism Funding Summit on twenty seventh October 2025 in Dubai, as a part of the Future Hospitality Summit.
The occasion will deliver collectively tourism ministers and officers from 53 African nations, cementing the nation’s place as a trusted companion in tourism funding.
