Tourism in the UAE

Tourism is a key part of Dubai's strategy to keep foreign cash flowing. Dubai is primarily an attraction for tourists with its shopping malls, but there are also many modern and local attractions in Dubai.
Dubai is the most popular emirate among the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Its biggest difference from other emirates in the country is that most of the emirate's income consists of tourism revenues.
Dubai is also described as the shopping capital of the Middle East. Dubai, which has more than 70 shopping malls, including Dubai Mall, the largest shopping mall in the world, also hosts many shopping tourists from countries such as Eastern Europe, Africa and India.
Dubai welcomed 14.36 million international overnight visitors in 2022, up 97% year-on-year from the 7.28 million tourist arrivals in 2021, according to the latest data published by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
The increase in international visits in 2022 supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 target of doubling the size of the Emirati economy by 2033. The tourism and travel sector contributes significantly to the leadership's goal of making the emirate a model for excellence in the global economy.
The strong performance in 2022 includes some notable gains in Dubai's traditional key markets and strong growth in emerging markets. Dubai remained the first choice safe travel destination for visitors from the city's strong markets.
Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing Authority, said: "New and unique world-class infrastructure launched by our visionary leadership to make Dubai one of the top three cities in the world for tourism and business as Dubai continues to grow exponentially in line with Dubai Economic Agenda D33." remains committed to taking experiences and attractions to the next level. The enormous diversity of the destination offer and Dubai's growing profile as a safe, open and accessible destination has seen the city named the No. 1 global destination for the second year in a row at the 2023 Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards Our partners have played a pivotal role in achieving the No. 1 ranking through their contributions to both Dubai's tourism growth and the global recovery of the sector. As we prepare to welcome more visitors to Dubai in 2023, the extraordinary support of our public and private sector stakeholders and partners will enable the international "It will help us increase our ability to showcase our unique offering designed to meet travelers' diverse preferences and budgets." said.
Dubai's hotel sector, which remains an integral part of the emirate's destination promise and the overall growth of its tourism industry, continued to perform strongly across all accommodation metrics.
Expo 2020 Dubai, one of the biggest success stories of the region in 2022, contributed greatly to the superior performance of the tourism industry. The event, which lasted 6 months and attracted more than 24 million visits, once again proved Dubai's ability to host mega global events and strengthened its position as a destination for international events.
Dubai's culinary sector has been a key driver of growth in 2022, with the city's rich, creative and multicultural food scene attracting visitors and rave reviews from around the world. Dubai's eclectic gastronomy scene includes approximately 13,000 restaurants and cafes, from local eateries to gourmet eateries and fine dining restaurants serving a variety of cuisines.
Dubai's culinary sector has been a key driver of growth in 2022, with the city's rich, creative and multicultural food scene attracting visitors and rave reviews from around the world. Dubai's eclectic gastronomy scene includes approximately 13,000 restaurants and cafes, from local eateries to gourmet eateries and fine dining restaurants serving a variety of cuisines.
With its world-class infrastructure, advanced facilities, year-round sun, luxury marinas, award-winning tourism offerings, rich maritime history and picturesque coastline, Dubai continues to grow in its appeal as a global superyacht hub.
In 2022, a number of new attractions and initiatives have been launched as part of the ever-evolving destination offer. These include the opening of the Museum of the Future, Dubai's new iconic landmark offering a gateway to a future world. Dubai also unveiled Expo City, the dynamic legacy of Expo 2020, an innovation-driven, people-centric vision of the future, and Atlantis The Royal, a mega resort located on Palm Jumeirah.
Dubai also continues to announce strong regulatory initiatives to encourage accelerated growth of its tourism sector, including seamless entry procedures for business and leisure travelers that facilitate access to the emirate by establishing a long-term relationship with the city. These include the 60-day tourist visa valid from September 2022 and the Five-Year Multiple Entry Visa for employees of multinational companies, as well as the Golden Visa, Virtual Work in Dubai and Retirement programmes.
