The UAE’s hotel revenues grew 3 percent annually in 2024 to approximately AED45 billion ($12.25 billion), according to His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council.
Bin Touq added that hotel occupancy rates also climbed to 78 percent last year, ranking among the highest both regionally and globally. This growth was supported by the opening of 16 new hotels across the seven emirates in 2024, taking the total number of hotels in the country to 1,251 by the end of the year.
In addition, the number of hotel rooms in the UAE grew, reaching 216,966 by the end of 2024, up 3 percent.
UAE’s tourism sector marks robust performance in 2024
Bin Touq also highlighted the continued growth and robust performance of the UAE’s tourism sector. He attributed this growth to the directives of the wise leadership and its forward-looking vision, which led to the development of sustainable policies, strategies and initiatives that drive the sector’s progress.
Tourism remains a key pillar in strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of the national economy, supporting the country’s transition toward an economy driven by knowledge and innovation.
“The UAE continues to advance its national efforts to develop innovative tourism initiatives and projects while strengthening collaboration with all relevant local and international tourism bodies. These efforts aim to elevate the UAE’s status as the best tourism identity globally by the next decade, offering world-class experiences that further enhance the country’s appeal to visitors from around the world. We are also focused on diversifying special interest tourism offerings, building the sector’s capacities, fostering the participation of Emirati talent and driving greater investment across all areas of the tourism ecosystem,” he added.
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Hotel guest numbers grow to 30.8 million
In a recent statement to WAM, Scott Livermore, ICAEW economic advisor and chief economist and managing director of Oxford Economics Middle East, highlighted that the UAE’s non-oil sector is expected to grow by 4.6 percent year-on-year in 2024.
He added that industries outside oil, particularly travel and tourism, will continue to thrive, with visitor numbers to Dubai and traffic through DXB reaching unprecedented levels. He indicated that visitor numbers are likely to rise significantly, increasing by over 20 percent this year and achieving double-digit growth again next year.
Bin Touq also revealed that the number of hotel guests across the UAE reached approximately 30.8 million in 2024, reflecting a 9.5 percent growth. This milestone represents 77 percent of the hotel guest target set by the ‘National Tourism Strategy 2031’ – achieved seven years ahead of schedule.
“With the current growth trajectory, we are well on track to achieving the strategy’s ambitious goal of attracting 40 million hotel guests,” he added.
This year promises a vibrant lineup of events and dynamic tourism campaigns aimed at promoting the UAE’s most iconic landmarks and distinctive destinations across the seven emirates, particularly after Al Ain was named the Gulf Tourism Capital for the year 2025.
