The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has extended the waiver of fees for issuing, distributing and marketing event tickets in the emirate to further encourage growth in the tourism sector.
Event organisers will be exempt from paying the 10 percent tourism fee on tickets sold until December 31, 2024.
Saleh Mohammed Al Geziry, director general of tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Abu Dhabi’s year-round line-up of events consistently attracts visitors from around the globe. The extension of the tourism fee waiver until the end of the year is part of our efforts to accelerate our growth and provide continued support to our event partners and organisers, who are integral to the tourism and entertainment ecosystem of the emirate.”
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Event organisers must continue to obtain event licences through the Abu Dhabi events licensing system following specified regulations. Organisers are required to declare revenues generated from their events, submit supporting financial statements, and cooperate with revenue auditors or individuals designated by DCT Abu Dhabi to verify the accuracy of their declarations.
Multiple ways to boost tourism
The tourism tax waiver is among several recent measures aimed at fostering the expansion of the tourism and events industry in Abu Dhabi. Other incentives include the reduction of tourism and municipality fees for hotels in Abu Dhabi, as well as updates to the holiday homes policy. Within this policy, farmhouse owners can now acquire licences to convert their properties into holiday homes. Landlords and residential unit owners can obtain more than one holiday home license for multiple units.
Earlier this month, the Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC) has announced the approval of 144 projects across Abu Dhabi by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. These projects, with a total budget of approximately AED66 billion ($17.96 billion), will cover various sectors including housing and quality of life, education and human capital, tourism, and natural resources. As much as AED1.1 billion has been allocated for boosting tourism in the emirate.
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