His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has reviewed the achievements of the national tourism sector for 2025, citing record growth across hotel guests, revenues and occupancy.
According to figures published by the UAE Government Media Office, the Emirates Tourism Council reported that hotel guest numbers climbed to more than 32 million in 2025, a 5.1 per cent increase compared with 2024. Hotel nights reached 100 million over the year, while the average hotel occupancy rate stood at 79.5 per cent, ranking among the highest globally.
Hotel establishment revenues rose to AED49.21 billion (around USD13.4 billion) in 2025, up 9.7 per cent year on year. The country's hospitality inventory grew to roughly 217,000 rooms distributed across more than 1,240 hotels, supporting demand from both leisure and business travellers.
Sheikh Mohammed said on his official channels that tourism remains one of the most important pillars of the national economy, and praised the coordination between federal authorities and local tourism boards. The review noted that the UAE retained its position as the top-ranked country across the Middle East and North Africa, and 18th globally, in the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024.
The Emirates Tourism Council's report highlighted how Abu Dhabi's cultural and entertainment assets, Dubai's retail and aviation infrastructure, and the growing offerings in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates worked together to diversify visitor traffic. Officials said joint marketing campaigns and unified visa facilitation have strengthened the country's appeal across long-haul source markets in Europe, India, China and Russia.
The Vice President directed authorities to continue building on the momentum to meet the targets of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to attract 40 million hotel guests annually and raise the sector's contribution to GDP to AED450 billion by the end of the decade.
Sources:UAE Government Media Office,Gulf Today,Sharjah24,Emirates 24|7,Zawya.
