UAE hotel occupancy rates among world’s highest

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy & Tourism, said that hotel occupancy rates in the UAE reached 79.3 percent during the first ten months of 2025, up from 78 percent last year, ranking among the highest regionally and globally.

In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the launch of the sixth edition of the World’s Coolest Winter campaign, the minister noted that hotel revenues totalled AED89 billion over the period, with 1,243 hotel establishments offering more than 216,000 rooms nationwide.

He added that tourism contributed 13 percent to the UAE’s GDP last year, equivalent to AED257.3 billion, and provides over 920,000 jobs, with plans to raise the sector’s contribution to 17 percent within five years, supported by growing investments and continued expansion in aviation.

Al Marri highlighted that the World’s Coolest Winter campaign, held under the slogan ‘Our Winter is Entrepreneurial’, aims to boost domestic tourism and support entrepreneurship, reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global destination for both tourism and business.

Tourism investments reached AED32.2 billion in 2024, up from AED 28.8 billion in 2023, and are expected to rise to AED35.2 billion in 2025, reflecting the sector’s strong and sustained growth.

STORY BY WAM