Page 768 - MOE ENGLISH PR - MAY 2024

5/14/24, 4:13 PM Tourism To Contribute 12% Of UAE’s GDP In 2024
Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market, Al Marri said the country’s tourism sector last year

accounted for 12.3% of national employment, or 809,000 jobs. By the end of 2024, the

sector is expected to have supported over 833,000 jobs, reported the state-owned Emirates
News Agency (WAM).

In 2023, Dubai attracted 17.15 million international visitors, marking a 19.4% growth

compared to 2022. The Department of Economy and Tourism presented this data when

Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Sports Council chairman,

visited its pavilion. In the first quarter, Dubai welcomed 5.18 million visitors.

Last year, S&P Global said that the tourism, hospitality, and manufacturing sectors in the

UAE would drive non-oil economic growth in the country in 2023 due to their positive
performance.

GCC tourism

Following Al Marri’s speech, panelists from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member

countries highlighted the importance of the upcoming unified tourism visa of the GCC in

facilitating travel across the Gulf region.

The panelists said the planned unified visa would allow member nations to present the Gulf

as a connected destination, boosting accessibility and driving key performance indicators
(KPIs) such as length of stay, average spend and employment.

In November, the GCC approved the Unified Gulf Tourist Visa project, which would give

tourists single-visa access to all GCC countries, resembling the Schengen visa issued by the

European Union (EU).

The new visa will enable tourists to travel across the six GCC states with a single visa,

making it convenient for travelers who had to attain separate visas from each country to be

able to visit them.

Sector-wide investments

In addition to ongoing investments in new and existing airports and cruise terminals,

ministerial speakers also highlighted the central role of the upcoming GCC Railway in

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