Abu Dhabi tourism growth accelerates as visitor numbers rise and revenues hit $1.59bn

The emirate’s tourism performance reflects a diversified offering that spans culture, heritage, nature, entertainment and major international events.

Spanning a vast geographical area, Abu Dhabi is home to historical landmarks, museums, forts and archaeological sites, alongside natural attractions including deserts, islands, beaches, mountains, gardens and ghaf forests, positioning it as a preferred destination for travel and culture enthusiasts.

Abu Dhabi tourism

The emirate hosts some of the world’s most prominent museums and art institutions, in addition to major sports and entertainment destinations. Its annual calendar includes the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island, the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the Abu Dhabi Food Festival, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, among other high-profile regional and international events.

These assets have also made Abu Dhabi an attractive venue for conferences, exhibitions, trade fairs and global sporting events, supporting year-round tourism demand.

Within this tourism ecosystem, entrepreneurs have played a growing role in attracting visitors through innovative projects that reflect Abu Dhabi’s past, present and future.

The sixth edition of the World’s Coolest Winter campaign marked a milestone in supporting domestic tourism and reinforcing the UAE’s position as a leading global tourism destination.

Among the tourism companies operating in the emirate is Premier Travel and Tourism, founded a decade ago by Emirati entrepreneur Saud Mohammed Sultan Al Darmaki.

Al Darmaki is regarded as the first Emirati entrepreneur to promote sustainable tourism and was awarded Best Arab Tourism Content on YouTube in 2019 at the Middle East level by the Tourism Media Centre.

His company focuses on sustainable tourism across heritage tourism, business tourism and incentive travel, supported by financial and moral backing from the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, alongside partnerships with strategic investors.

Al Darmaki has also delivered training and qualification programmes for university and college students to support Emirati participation in the tourism sector.

Leisure and destination development

Another major player is Miral, founded in May 2011 and chaired by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak.

Miral focuses on delivering sustainable, long-term value through projects that enhance Abu Dhabi’s global tourism profile and contribute to economic diversification.

In 2022, Miral announced a portfolio of projects under development valued at more than AED13bn ($3.54bn) across Yas Island and other parts of Abu Dhabi.

The company is responsible for the design, construction, development, operation and management of immersive destinations and experiences, and has created 3,000 jobs in the leisure and tourism sector.

Miral operates through three subsidiaries: Miral Destinations, Miral Experiences and Yas Asset Management.

In 2024, the company launched a comprehensive sustainability strategy aimed at setting a new regional benchmark for sustainable leisure and tourism experiences by 2030, with a focus on reducing environmental impact and promoting educational and purposeful leisure activities.

In October 2025, Miral announced that both Yas Island and Saadiyat Island recorded record visitor numbers during the summer season. Yas Island achieved a 15 per cent increase in visits, while Saadiyat Island recorded a 14 per cent rise in visits to its cultural and hospitality experiences.

Hotel performance and long-term targets

Government and private-sector collaboration continues to support tourism growth across the emirate. During the first nine months of 2025, hotel establishments in Abu Dhabi welcomed 4.4m guests, representing growth of 2.9 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.

Hotel revenues rose by 18.2 per cent to reach AED5.85bn ($1.59bn).

These results align with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030, which targets 39.3m visitors annually, the creation of 178,000 new jobs, expansion of hotel capacity to 50,000 rooms, and an increase in the sector’s contribution to GDP to AED90bn ($24.5bn) by the end of the decade.