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9/30/25, 4:19 PM UAE commercial licences at nearly 40,000 on tourism-powered economic momentum | The National
UAE commercial licences at nearly 40,000 on

tourism-powered economic momentum

Hospitality and aviation are reflecting the UAE's leadership as incubators for companies, Economy Minister Abdulla bin
Touq says

Alvin R Cabral
September 27, 2025

The UAE has granted nearly 40,000 commercial licences in a number of key tourism-related
industries, reflecting the country's continued economic momentum, Economy Minister Abdulla bin

Touq has said.

The 39,546 licences issued through the middle of September amounted to a nearly four-fold surge
from the same period in 2020, Mr Bin Touq said, state news agency Wam reported on Saturday.

Those licences were in the sectors of tourism and digital tourism, hospitality, aviation, air transport and
aviation technology, which "reflects the UAE's leadership as an incubator for companies and
commercial licences across various tourism sectors", the minister said.

Tourism remained a major driver for the UAE economy, with Gulf visitor numbers growing: tourists
from the six-nation council hit 3.3 million in 2024, accounting for about 11 per cent of total guests,
boosted by the unified tourist visa approved in 2023, Mr Bin Touq said.

Tourists from Saudi Arabia comprised nearly 60 per cent of guests with 1.9 million, followed by Oman
(777,000), Kuwait (381,000), Bahrain (123,000) and Qatar (93,000).

"The unified Gulf tourist visa represents a strategic step towards enhancing tourism integration," Mr
Bin Touq said.

"It will represent a qualitative shift in the tourism sector across the Gulf and the region, enhance the

visibility of the diverse tourism assets that characterise each GCC country, and contribute to
strengthening the attractiveness of the Gulf countries as a unified regional tourism destination," he
added.

The UAE's tourism industry is one of its economic pillars, complemented by a host of hospitality, retail
and entertainment offerings, and forms part of the key non-oil economy.

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