The Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai reviews the joint success and future plans with its partners

The Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai organized the second regular meeting for the year 2024 with partners, where it reviewed with them the most prominent initiatives and marketing and promotional campaigns that focus on joint cooperation, and also highlighted the pivotal role that tourism, events and related sectors play in achieving the ambitious goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
At the beginning of the meeting, which was held at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City Hotel, Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, welcomed the attendees and thanked them for their efforts and participation in the meeting, which attracted more than 1,300 executives, experts and professionals in many sectors, including tourism and hotels. , tourist attractions, and event venues, along with tour operators, airlines, and other government agencies.
On this occasion, Al Marri stressed the great positive impact of the established and growing partnership between the government and private sectors in achieving sustainable development goals in Dubai, and pushing its tourism sector to a new stage in which the emirate continues to introduce new standards and concepts for excellence in the field of hospitality, noting the role of partners in providing solutions and services. Innovative projects that will increase Dubai’s attractiveness to tourists from all over the world, at a time when the two sectors are joining forces to enhance Dubai’s global position as the best city to live, work and visit.

About 15 million visitors
During the meeting, the distinguished performance of the tourism sector and hospitality indicators was reviewed, as Dubai hosted 14.96 million international visitors during the first ten months of 2024, an increase of 8 percent compared to the same period last year, and hotel capacity increased to 152,532 rooms by the end of last October. The average occupancy indicators, the number of rooms booked, the average daily rate, and the average revenue from available rooms also increased.
Participants learned about the most prominent marketing campaigns and initiatives recently launched by the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, in cooperation with partners, as well as the main projects that serve as engines for continued growth in the tourism sector, including cruises, yachts, weddings, culinary arts, and sustainability.

Continue to grow
Issam Kazim, Executive Director of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “The tourism sector in Dubai continues to grow and gain more momentum under the guidance of the wise leadership and the implementation of its ambitious vision, as well as investing in the strong strategic partnership between the public and private sectors to contribute to its development and advancement to advanced levels.” With our keenness to provide exceptional experiences for visitors to Dubai, which enables us to maintain the high rates we achieve in various hospitality indicators, and thus make important and vital contributions to reaching the ambitious goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda. D33″.
He added: “Dubai’s vital tourism sector has been able to continue its growth despite the challenges and external factors affecting the global travel market, as we work collectively and within one team to increase our market share, and we innovate and create to remain at the forefront.”
He expressed his thanks to all partners for their continued support and effective contributions in making the city a global model for quality services, and said: “As we approach the new year 2025, we seek to further strengthen Dubai’s global status and work together to consolidate the tremendous components that distinguish the city. And adopt innovative methods to promote it around the world.”

A global destination
Commenting on this meeting, Ahmed Al Khaja, Executive Director of the Dubai Festivals and Retail Corporation, said: “The success achieved by the tourism, retail and events sectors in Dubai during the year 2024 reflects the vision of the wise leadership in strengthening the emirate’s position as a leading global destination for business and entertainment, in line with the objectives of the Dubai Agenda.” Economic D33. As part of its continuous endeavor to become an international center for hosting events and providing entertainment experiences, Dubai achieved exceptional achievements during this year, such as the Dubai Challenge. Fitness, which witnessed unprecedented levels of participation, in addition to the launch of the 30th edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival and within the framework of the annual Dubai calendar for the retail sector, various festivals and events, international conferences, and sports tournaments hosted by the emirate throughout the year, which are planned and successfully implemented in cooperation with partners. “And the stakeholders, we are optimistic that Dubai will continue to achieve growth in 2025, and enhance its attractiveness as a major destination capable of providing exceptional experiences to its residents and visitors.”
The regular meeting with partners included an overview of the promotional efforts and initiatives of the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai at the international level, which are launched through 36 of the Department’s offices covering more than 60 countries around the world. The department continues to strengthen its relationships with more than 3,000 partners in the travel sector, including 270 current or potential partners who will be contracted soon, indicating the importance of partnerships at the local and global levels. The department also conducted more than 45 introductory tours and international workshops this year, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and meetings in consolidating Dubai’s position and supporting the sector.
The meeting also included a detailed explanation of the success of the comprehensive public relations and communications efforts made by the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai with its partners in drawing a comprehensive and integrated picture of Dubai through extensive media coverage at the local and global levels, highlighting the true advantages of the city, and supporting events and initiatives. The major event that it hosts, as well as highlighting its continuing efforts in the field of innovation and sustainability.
On the other hand, the meeting focused on the significant impact of the department’s social media, as posts on the social media pages of the “Visit Dubai” website across multiple platforms and languages ​​exceeded 290 million posts, and posts on the strategic partners’ pages also reached 375 million posts, while posts recorded Celebrity opinion leaders on social media received more than 104 million posts during the second half of this year alone.

The Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai also expanded the horizons of communication with local and international audiences through innovative initiatives, which included the launch of the “Visit Dubai” channel on the WhatsApp application in the Arabic language, the (Dubai, Always) website for electronic games, and a podcast in the Chinese language that achieved widespread demand exceeding one million recorded minutes of Listeners.
The department also benefited from partnerships with influential international figures, such as J Balvin, who contributed to portraying the splendor of Dubai through the music videos he filmed in the city, along with Mr. Best, who showcased the splendor of Dubai on his YouTube channel.
The Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai has always partnered with relevant authorities in launching and implementing its innovative campaigns that highlight all the experiences that Dubai embraces, including hotels and tourist destinations. At the regular meeting, attendees learned about innovative campaigns such as the “Dubai – What’s Not To Love” campaign, which strengthened the city’s position as an ideal destination for spending the winter, and the Dubai: A Whole New You campaign, which attracted a wide audience through the participation of Bollywood stars Saif and Sara Ali Khan. It also launched the “Dubai: Who’s Ready?” campaign. In collaboration with Korean stars Park Shin Hye and Park Hyung Sik from the beloved series “Doctor Slump” on the Netflix platform.
As part of enhancing Dubai’s appeal to young audiences in the Arabian Gulf region, the department launched the This Calls For Dubai Yabeelha Dubai campaign, and its latest global campaign, entitled “Whoever Visits It, Knows Its Magic,” was an opportunity for families from different cultures in Dubai to share their experiences in the city in their mother tongues, to encourage… People from their countries are encouraged to visit the city and experience what it has to offer, which has contributed to attracting more visitors by showcasing the experiences of many of its residents of different nationalities.
During the meeting, business marketing activities at the global level were highlighted to emphasize the strategic goal aimed at making Dubai the best city to visit, live and work. This includes participation in the most prominent international exhibitions and other global content partnerships.
Partners were also encouraged to build on the success of the last edition of the World Travel Market exhibition in London, in which the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai participated alongside more than 60 partners. The department will record an active presence during the year 2025 by participating in a diverse agenda of exhibitions throughout the year in the sectors of entertainment, business events, cruises and yachts.
On the other hand, the meeting touched on the success of the eighth session of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, while providing details about the success of this initiative, which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate. Dubai, attracting a record number of participants, amounting to 2.7 million participants.
With the launch of the Dubai Shopping Festival activities, attendees were informed of the plans and events for the thirtieth session of the festival, including promotions, parties and entertainment events, in addition to providing a comprehensive overview of Dubai’s annual retail calendar for the year 2025, and the prominent festivals and events it hosts, such as the “Dubai Shopping Festival” campaign. Ramadan in Dubai”, “Eid in Dubai” celebrations, “Dubai Summer Surprises”, “Dubai Fashion Season”, “Dubai Furniture Festival”, and others. Promotional campaigns and initiatives such as the “Great Online Sale” and “Three Days of Big Sale”.
As for the coming weeks, an overview was provided of the most prominent events on the Dubai calendar, including concerts by the artist Sherine Abdel Wahab and the artist Lionel Richie, in addition to major sporting events such as the Dubai Marathon, the Dubai Desert Classic Championship, and others. Theatrical performances such as the musical “Singing in the Rain,” “The Nutcracker,” and the “Coco Mellon: Sing with Us” concert.