The UAE continues to strengthen its position as a global tourism investment hub by offering wide-ranging facilitation measures that allow entrepreneurs to set up and expand tourism businesses with minimal barriers.
The country provides strong incentives for tourism investors, including tax exemptions, 100 per cent foreign ownership, no minimum capital requirements, no income tax, and full profit repatriation.
Investors can operate without a local sponsor and choose from more than 40 free zones across the UAE, supporting a wide range of tourism-related activities.
These measures come as the UAE records steady growth in tourism performance. In the first half of the year, hotels welcomed more than 16 million guests. By mid-year, the country had 1,243 hotel establishments offering over 216,000 rooms, with 16 new hotels entering the market in 2024.
The UAE has also ranked among the world’s top seven destinations for international tourist spending and placed first globally in several aviation and travel competitiveness indicators, including air transport infrastructure quality.
World’s Coolest Winter campaign
Tourism development is guided by a coordinated national approach, including the National Tourism Strategy 2031 and campaigns such as World’s Coolest Winter, which highlights entrepreneurship opportunities in the sector. The government has also launched initiatives supporting domestic tourism, new destination promotion, workforce development, and the integration of tourism concepts into education.
Digital transformation is a key focus, with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism implementing projects to link hotel data electronically with local tourism authorities and develop advanced tourism technologies.
Tourism investment in the UAE reached Dhs28.8 billion in 2023 and rose to Dhs32.2 billion in 2024. It is projected to reach Dhs35.2 billion in 2025, reflecting growing investor confidence in the sector.
International visitor spending totalled Dhs217.3 billion in 2024, while domestic tourism spending reached Dhs57.6 billion. During the first eight months of 2025, UAE airports handled about 102.9 million passengers, up 5.3 per cent year-on-year.
The UAE ranked first regionally and 18th globally in the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Travel & Tourism Development Index. It also placed first worldwide in travel and tourism data provision and air transport infrastructure, reinforcing its status as a leading destination for tourism investment and development.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
