1.47 million British tourists visited Dubai in 2025

Data from the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai showed that the emirate received 1,473,000 British tourists during the year 2025, with a growth rate of 11%, compared to tourist flow levels in 2024, at a rate of 122,750 tourists every month, and about 4,035 visitors every day.

According to data obtained by Emirates Today, Dubai has continued to strengthen its position as a global tourist destination in various international markets, including the British market, which recorded double-digit growth, as the city continued to register strong interest from the British market in particular.

In the context of overall tourism performance, Dubai received 19.5 million international tourists during the year 2025. Thus, British visitors constitute about 7.5% of the total number of tourists arriving to the emirate, which places the United Kingdom among the most important markets exporting tourism to the emirate.

When looking at the European market, Dubai received 4.1 million tourists from Western Europe during the same year, with British tourists alone representing about 36% of this total number, meaning that more than a third of Western European visitors to Dubai came from the United Kingdom alone.

The continuation of this daily flow of more than 4,000 visitors reflects the strength of the air connection between Dubai and the cities of the United Kingdom, most notably London, where Emirates Airlines alone serves the United Kingdom with more than 133 flights per week, including six flights daily by A380 to London Heathrow Airport, three flights daily to London Gatwick Airport, two flights daily to London Stansted Airport, three flights daily to Manchester, and two flights daily to Birmingham. One is an A380, with a daily flight to Newcastle, a daily flight to Glasgow, and a daily A350 flight to Edinburgh.

Emirates Airlines, the world’s largest international air carrier, announced in October 2025 the addition of six flights per week to its flight schedule to London Heathrow.

Dubai concluded the year 2025 by receiving more than two million international visitors in one month for the first time, in December 2025, recording a growth of 6% on an annual basis, as strategic partnerships, global marketing campaigns, and hosting major major events contributed to achieving this exceptional achievement.

According to the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, the diversified strategy it pursues throughout the year, which was implemented in cooperation with local partners and more than 3,000 international partners, has contributed to highlighting Dubai to new and returning visitors from traditional and emerging markets alike. This led to an increase in the number of people coming from the main regions, in addition to attracting permanent residents, investors and new companies.

The department stressed that the continued growth in the number of international visitors reflects the strength of Dubai’s diversified tourism destination strategy, which was implemented through effective partnerships between the public and private sectors, and with Dubai being classified as the best global destination in attracting foreign direct investment projects, the tourism and hospitality sector continues its main role in driving economic growth.