Page 251 - 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 UAE emerged at the forefront of the global tourism landscape, attracting a substantial number of tourists
from around the world. Image: Shutterstock

Infrastructure investment is keeping pace. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,

Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, recently approved the designs for the
new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport.

Valued at AED128bn ($34.8bn), the facility is set to become the world’s largest, with a

capacity of 260m passengers.

Tourism investments rose from AED28.8bn ($7.8bn) in 2023 to AED32.2bn ($8.8bn) in
2024, with projections of AED35.2bn ($9.6bn) in 2025. Campaigns such as the “World’s

Coolest Winter” initiative have also delivered strong results, generating around AED6.7bn
($1.8bn) in hotel revenues over five editions and reaching more than 1.2bn people globally.

The UAE is further strengthening its international role by hosting the UAE Africa Tourism

Investment Summit on 27th October 2025 in Dubai, as part of the Future Hospitality

Summit.

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