UAE hotel revenues in H1 2025 reached AED26 billion ($7.1 billion), a 6.3% increase on the same period a year ago — the latest sign that the country's hospitality sector is tracking well ahead of its decade-long growth strategy.
Emirates Tourism Council Reports Record H1 Results
The figures were announced by Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, at the Council's third meeting of 2025. Hotel occupancy reached an impressive 80.5% across the country during the first six months of the year, underlining sustained demand from both leisure and business travellers.
Bin Touq noted that the growth directly supports the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which targets a sector contribution of AED450 billion ($122.5 billion) to the national economy by the next decade — more than a tenfold increase on current annual revenues.
Strategy 2031: Diversification Through Tourism
The UAE has framed tourism as a central pillar of its push to diversify beyond oil revenues. Bin Touq highlighted that progress is being driven through sustainable development, public-private partnerships, and innovation — efforts that simultaneously attract visitors, develop Emirati talent, and raise the quality of travel experiences across the country.
The meeting also reviewed a pipeline of upcoming tourism initiatives and discussed enhanced coordination mechanisms with the private sector.
UAE-Africa Tourism Investment Summit in Focus
A major agenda item was preparations for the UAE-Africa Tourism Investment Summit, set for October 27 as part of the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS World). The event will bring together ministers and senior officials from 53 African nations to explore partnerships in sustainable hospitality, tourism infrastructure, and niche travel products — positioning the UAE as a bridge between Africa's emerging tourism markets and global investment capital.
Local Authorities Set Out 2026 Plans
Local tourism authorities shared updates on achievements in the first half of the year and outlined their strategic plans for 2026. Bin Touq reaffirmed that tourism remains a cornerstone of the UAE's economic transformation agenda — one aimed at securing its reputation as a trusted international partner in travel and hospitality for years to come.
