Page 56 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2024 (Part 1)

Press Release

Ministry of Economy: UAE tourism sector witnesses steady
growth with hotel establishment revenues increasing by 7

per cent to reach AED 24.6 billion in H1 2024

H.E. Bin Touq: Latest results demonstrate the effectiveness of the
UAE's vision in boosting the competitiveness of its tourism offerings,
furthering the objectives of UAE Tourism Strategy 2031

Abu Dhabi, 11 September 2024:

The Ministry of Economy (MoEc) revealed that the UAE’s tourism sector is continuing
to grow, bolstering its contribution to the growth and sustainability of the national
economy. The revenues generated by hotel establishments in the country have
surpassed AED 24.6 billion in the first half of 2024, up seven per cent compared to the
corresponding period in 2023. Furthermore, the number of hotel guests across the
UAE's seven emirates reached approximately 15.3 million during the first six months
of 2024, reflecting a 10.5 per cent growth.

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates
Tourism Council, said: "The latest results demonstrate the effectiveness of the country's
efforts and strategies in enhancing the tourism sector, in line with international best
practices. They also underline the competitive advantage of the UAE's tourism
offerings both at regional and global levels. These indicators are crucial in realising the
objectives of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to boost the sector’s
contribution to the national GDP to 450 billion dirhams and attract 40 million visitors
to hotel establishments by the next decade."

His Excellency added: “Thanks to the directives of the wise leadership, UAE tourism
has been able to maintain its growth in terms of both revenues and hotel capacity. The
hotel occupancy rate in the country reached 79.5 per cent in H1 2024, which is among
the highest globally, growing by 3.7 per cent compared to H1 2023.” His Excellency
noted that national efforts continue to support joint action in the implementation of
tourism-related plans and strategies and solidify the UAE's position as one of the best
destinations in the world, in the light of the We the UAE 2031 vision.

H.E. Bin Touq explained: “In terms of travel and aviation, the country's airports
recorded an increase in passenger numbers during the first half of this year. This echoes
the international confidence and trust in the quality and efficiency of travel services in