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UAE tourism rebounds spectacularly after Covid-19 pandemic
The emirate received 11.4 million overnight international tourists in the first ten months of 2022, according to Dubai Economy and Tourism. – file photo
According to a recent report, Dubai ranks among the top 10 cities in the MENA region in terms of the number of hotel projects currently under construction.
The January 2023 report by Top Hotels Projects shows that Dubai leads the region with 85 hotel projects under development. This includes 23,549 hotel rooms. The Saudi capital, Riyadh, came second with 46 hotel projects comprising 9,598 hotel rooms under construction, and Jeddah was third with 33 hotel projects and 7,195 hotel rooms.
Tourism in Dubai has seen a stunning rebound in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Expo 2020 and the recently concluded FIFA World Cup in Qatar have boosted tourist inflows to the city, with local airlines announcing flight frequencies are almost back to pre-pandemic levels.
According to Dubai Economy and Tourism, the emirate received 11.4 million overnight international tourists in the first ten months of 2022, an increase of 134% compared to the same period last year.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, launched the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 last month. The strategy aims to strengthen the UAE’s position as one of the world’s top tourist destinations.
The strategy aims to increase tourism’s contribution to GDP to AED450 billion, an annual increase of AED27 billion, attract AED100 billion in new investment to the country’s tourism industry, and attract 40 million Hotel guests. It includes 25 initiatives and policies to support the development of tourism in the country.
The number of hotel rooms in Dubai reached over 144,700 hotel rooms across 790 hotel establishments by the end of October 2022. This represents a significant increase from the 134,400 hotel rooms at 736 hotels at the end of October 2021.
The number of projects under construction and the number of hotel rooms under construction in the UAE ranks second in the Middle East and Africa, and Saudi Arabia ranks first.
Data show that there are currently 135 hotel projects under construction in the UAE, including about 34,855 hotel rooms of various types. The UAE as a whole accounts for about 20% of the total number of hotel projects under construction in the Middle East and Africa.
According to the “Top Hotels Projects” report, there are 67 hotel projects in the preparatory stage of opening at the regional level, with 16,400 hotel rooms, 358 projects under construction, with about 98,700 rooms, and 121 projects under construction, with 32,800 rooms. In planning, 88 projects with 19,800 guest rooms are in the pre-planning stage.
According to the data, about 646 hotel projects are currently under development in the MENA region, including construction, planning, design and upcoming opening projects.
Looking ahead, the report predicts that 319 hotel projects will open in the MENA region next year. This will include approximately 80,000 hotel rooms. By 2024, 169 hotels with 46,300 rooms are expected to come online, followed by 86 hotels with 28,000 rooms by 2025.
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