UAE Hotel Revenues Reach AED 44.4 Billion In 11 Months Of 2025

The UAE tourism sector continued to draw global attention as Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri joined FITUR Madrid 2026, held at IFEMA from 21st to 25th January. Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, used the event to highlight tourism’s growing role in the national economy and its contribution to sustainable development and gross domestic product.

Al Marri reviewed tourism indicators for January to November 2025, noting that hotel revenues reached about AED44.4 billion, an 8.8 percent rise on the same period in 2024, driven by higher average daily rates. Hotels received around 29.1 million guests, up 5.2 percent, while guest nights exceeded 99.4 million, showing 6 percent growth compared with the same months in 2024.

The International Tourism Fair aimed to deepen cooperation with major regional and global tourism markets, while also reinforcing the UAE tourism identity and product range on an international platform. According to Al Marri, the exhibition served as a key venue for exchanging expertise on sustainable tourism policies and creating innovative projects and solutions that supported long-term economic and social development worldwide.

Al Marri stated that the UAE and the Kingdom of Spain maintained strong, strategic economic links, reflecting a common interest in expanding joint work in trade, investment and tourism. He stressed that tourism acted as a central pillar in these relations, enabling new cross-border investments, strengthening cultural exchange, sharing tourism know-how and pushing broader economic cooperation that supported sustainable growth in both countries.

During FITUR Madrid 2026, Al Marri pointed to several tourism milestones achieved by the UAE in 2025 at regional and international levels. These included the election of Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais as Secretary-General of UN Tourism for the 2026–2029 term, Masfout’s selection as Best Tourism Village in the World for 2025, and the designation of Al Ain as Capital of Arab Tourism for 2026, after its choice as Gulf Tourism Capital for 2025.

Al Marri said these developments demonstrated the UAE’s position within the global tourism sector and its continuing work to improve competitiveness and build sustainable destinations. He added that, guided by the leadership’s vision, the country had strengthened its status as a major international tourism destination, attracting millions of visitors each year through diverse experiences, advanced infrastructure, supportive policies and initiatives that improved regional and global sector competitiveness.

While visiting the Abu Dhabi and Dubai pavilions at the fair, Al Marri underlined the strength and competitiveness of UAE tourism products and services. He noted their role in providing high-quality visitor experiences that matched the expectations of travellers from many markets. Al Marri also emphasised the importance of a strong presence by national tourism companies at global exhibitions and events to showcase offerings and build new partnerships.

Al Marri reiterated that the UAE tourism sector represented a core pillar of sustainable development and a key driver of economic activity. The performance indicators for 2025, the new international recognitions, and the deepening cooperation with Spain and other partners at FITUR Madrid 2026 together highlighted the UAE’s ongoing efforts to develop competitive, sustainable tourism destinations that supported long-term national growth.

With inputs from WAM