Page 248 - MOET PR REPORT- SEPTEMBER 2025

9/29/25, 5:05 PM UAE tourism sector reaches $70.1bn GDP contribution with record growth in 2024 - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middle E…

The sector contributed AED257.3bn ($70.1bn) to the national economy in 2024,

representing 13 per cent of GDP — a 3.2 per cent increase compared to 2023 and 26 per
cent higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the Emirates

Tourism Council, highlighted the milestones ahead of World Tourism Day on 27th

September.

UAE tourism growth

He noted the launch of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 and the election of Shaikha Nasser
Al Nowais as the first Emirati to serve as Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism

Organisation for the 2026–2029 term.

The UAE also ranked among the top seven global destinations for international tourist
spending and achieved leading positions in aviation competitiveness indicators, notably the

Quality of Air Transport Infrastructure index.

Visitor spending reflected this momentum, with international tourists contributing

AED217.3bn ($59.2bn) in 2024, up 5.8 per cent from 2023 and 30.4 per cent higher than
2019.

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