Minister of Economy and Tourism: The hotel occupancy rate in the UAE is among the highest in the world

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Dubai, December 17 / WAM / His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, said that the tourism sector achieved hotel revenues amounting to 89 billion dirhams during the first ten months of this year, while the number of hotel establishments in the country reached 1,243 establishments, containing more than 216 thousand rooms.

His Excellency added, in statements to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, on the sidelines of the launch ceremony of the “The Most Beautiful Winter in the World” campaign in its sixth edition, that hotel occupancy rates in the country reached 79.3%, compared to 78% during the past year, which is among the highest regionally and globally, reflecting the continued growth of the tourism sector in the country, which is an essential pillar in the process of economic diversification and sustainable growth.

His Excellency explained that the tourism sector contributed 13% to the country’s gross domestic product during the past year, equivalent to 257.3 billion dirhams, while the sector provides more than 920,000 jobs in the Emirates, stressing the goal of raising the sector’s contribution to the domestic product to 17% during the next five years in light of the growing investments in the sector, in addition to the continued growth in the aviation sector.

He stressed that the UAE continues to consolidate its leading position globally as a pivotal player in the tourism industry, as the sector achieves exceptional performance embodied in record numbers and steady growth rates, which reflects the success of national initiatives and projects in this vital sector and the success of the country’s strategies in enhancing tourism attraction.

He said that the “The Most Beautiful Winter in the World” campaign, in its sixth session, under the slogan “Our Winter is Entrepreneurship,” aims to stimulate domestic tourism in the country and enhance the role of entrepreneurship in the growth of the tourism sector by providing an innovative and diverse tourism product in line with the national campaign “The UAE is the Entrepreneurial Capital of the World” and in a way that consolidates the country’s position as a global destination for entrepreneurship and tourism alike.

He pointed out that the first edition of the Most Beautiful Winter in the World campaign achieved revenues of about one billion dirhams, while the sixth edition is expected to achieve more than two billion dirhams, which reflects the continued strong growth of the tourism economy in the country.

He pointed out that the UAE, under the guidance of the wise leadership, established a strong base and advanced infrastructure that included roads, airports, the aviation sector, hotels, and the development of tourist destinations, until the country became a global leader in the field of tourist attractions.

It is worth noting that the volume of tourism investments attracted by the country amounted to 28.8 billion dirhams in 2023, and rose to 32.2 billion dirhams in 2024, while it is expected to reach 35.2 billion dirhams in 2025.