Page 916 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - OCTOBER 2024

“In the first half of this year, about 73 million visitors were managed by our airports in the UAE. We
have over 1,200 hotels that have hosted millions of people, and our occupancy levels are at 80 per
cent, which is among the highest in the world,” said Al Marri.

My target is to increase the tourism sector's contribution to GDP to 16%.Image Credit: Gulf News
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The Minister said the UAE’s appeal as a major tourism hub lies in the safety of offers despite
tensions in the broader Middle East. “We are in the eye of the storm, but we have the highest safety
and security protocols. And everyone knows that about us. Our numbers speak for themselves,” he
said.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the UAE’s travel and tourism industry
grew by 26 per cent last year, contributing Dh220 billion to the country’s GDP.

Boosting supplies to meet targets

On the supply side, the UAE aims to attract over Dh450 billion in hotel industry investments over the
next seven years. “We are focused on significantly increasing the number of hotel keys and
expanding our hospitality offerings,” said Al Marri.

The UAE also wants to diversify its tourism portfolio by emphasising medical and wellness tourism.
A key objective is to boost the average length of stay for visitors, currently at 3.5 to 3.6 nights, to

https://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/uae-targets-dh450-billion-worth-of-investments-in-hotel-
industry-over-7-years-al-marri-1.1727801392355