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Tourism in the United Arab Emirates

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Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world and a major tourist attraction of the United Arab Emirates.
Jebel Jais, the highest mountain in the United Arab Emirates is part of Al Hajar Mountains.
Rub al Khali desert on the outskirts of Liwa Oasis.

Tourism in the United Arab Emirates is an important part of the Emirati economy. In 2023, the tourism sector employed 809,300 people[1] and contributed 220 billion dirham to the national gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for 12% of it.[2] In 2024, the UAE was the 6th destination globally by international tourism receipts according to the World Tourism rankings,[3] and it ranked 18th globally in the Travel and Tourism Development Index.[4]

The country's major tourist attractions include the Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, and Al Hajar Mountains in Fujairah.[citation needed]

History

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When the country was first formed in 1971 and freed from British control, the country itself did not have any sufficient tourist industry and the economic situation of the newly established nation was weak, despite massive oil wealth. Realizing the need to develop the country, and the awareness of oil limits, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who initiated the foundation of the UAE, envisioned the plan to diversify the country's economy, in which tourism was specifically regarded.[5] The envision was eventually carried out, and in 1979, Sheikh Zayed opened the country's first-ever hotel, the Metropolitan Hotel Dubai located in Dubai.[6]

The development of tourism in the United Arab Emirates was heavily linked to the development of tourism in Dubai, which was one of the earliest emirates in the country to open for tourists. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai from 1958 till 1990, realised one day Dubai would run out of oil and started building an economy that would outlast it.[7] Sheikh Rashid, together with Sheikh Zayed, was the instrumental leaders of leading the country's tourism, having made a joint declaration for the founding of the Emirates.[8] In 1989 the Dubai Commerce and Tourism Promotion Board was established, to promote Dubai as a luxury destination for the up-tier market and influential business sectors. In January 1997, it was replaced with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).[9]

Since 2000s, the United Arab Emirates have experienced a significant tourist boom, and increasing life standard and quality made the expenditure on tourism to rise, thus making it more important to the national economy.[10][11]

Tourist destinations

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Main article: List of tourist attractions in the United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi

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Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and is the second most popular tourist destination in the country, under the management of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.[12] This is also the center of Formula One race in the country, the Yas Marina Circuit. Nonetheless, the city is also famous for its landscapes, given its proximity to the Persian Gulf. There are over ten beaches functioning in the city serving for tourist purpose.[13] The city is popular for its nightlife, more so than the more populous Dubai as it has lesser restriction and regular laws.[14]

Dubai

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See also: Tourism in Dubai
Archipelagoes in Dubai.

Dubai is the most visited city in the United Arab Emirates, the most expensive city in the GCC and one of the most expensive cities in the world.[15] It is also the home of the two tallest towers in the world, the Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa, the latter occupies the top position. Nightlife in the city is also widely promoted.[16] The city is often seen as a symbol of rapid tourist success in the nation. Its richness encompassed by the rapid development and the mix with the local Arab culture made it a popular destination for tourists to travel. However, lack of general tourism development remains an obstacle which the Emirati authorities have sought to tackle.[17]

Fujairah

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Fujairah shares the Al-Hajar Mountains with Ras Al Khaimah, a major tourist attraction in the country. Outside the Hajar Mountains, the Fujairah Fort, Bitnah Fort, Snoopy Island, Masafi and Al-Hayl Castle are also another attractive destinations.[18] Fujairah holds a distinction for having a bull butting culture, a result of Portuguese colonization from 17th century.[19]

Ras Al Khaimah

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Ras Al Khaimah is known for its natural landscape.[citation needed] The Al Hajar Mountains, in particular with mount Jebel Jais, the highest mountain of the country, offers views over craggy peaks down to the coastal plain, making this a common spot for photographers, particularly in the late afternoon when the orange-hued rocks glow.[citation needed] The world's longest zipline is also based in Ras Al Khaimah's Jebel Jais. Other include Dhayah Fort and its beach.[20]

Sharjah

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See also: Tourism in Sharjah

Sharjah is a major commercial center of the UAE. Sharjah is perhaps, among the most traditional tourist center, due to initiative efforts by the emirate's leadership to keep its spirit within the growing modernization. In 1998, Sharjah was awarded the "Cultural Capital of the Arab World" title by UNESCO representing the United Arab Emirates.[21] Major destinations include the Sharjah Art Museum, Al Noor Mosque, Souk Al Markazi and Sharjah Heritage Area.[22] A cultural heritage project, Heart of Sharjah, has been undertaken to preserve and restore the old town of Sharjah and return it to its 1950s state.[23]

Tourism statistics

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International visitors

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Year Tourist
Arrivals[24][25]
2020 To be announced
2019 21,000,000
2018 15,930,000
2017 20,700,000
2016 19,300,000
2015 17,000,000
2014 15,500,000
2013 14,000,000
2012 12,400,000
Country 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
 India 1,224,349 2,855,096 2,778,160 2,511,933 2,080,380 1,881,489
 Oman 634,879 2,814,152 2,172,910 1,928,292 2,021,958 1,716,930
 Saudi Arabia 512,875 1,897,471 1,993,646 1,876,316 1,921,916 1,662,435
 Pakistan 418,973 840,222 819,683 763,396 767,724 671,847
 United Kingdom 418,385 1,367,997 1,365,160 1,452,455 1,460,328 1,394,118
 Russia 335,016 866,857 800,253 610,427 304,295 269,493
 Germany 253,973 827,837 792,303 767,048 764,715 726,957
 Egypt 238,226 357,084 328,049 297,658 302,560 301,952
 United States 208,800 757,353 747,691 741,473 735,147 758,875
 France 188,476 444,657 403,945 353,726 337,847 335,024
 China 175,297 998,278 844,005 766,972 529,103 445,109
 Italy 106,088 312,493 291,944 281,176 286,806 281,251
 Philippines 104,438 378,423 375,938 379,754 365,749 322,297
 Kuwait 98,576 378,109 399,795 463,708 492,360 489,425
 Nigeria 79,630 250,568 172,476 128,676 145,725 162,086
 Kazakhstan 78,072 164,219 140,801 93,968 89,723 85,625
 Ukraine 73,819 154,001 123,221 83,670 77,397 70,154
 Jordan 71,707 165,852 165,821 173,465 176,794 176,971
 Canada 66,003 200,321 189,915 202,461 214,492 210,620
 Bangladesh 63,674 158,108 132,931 31,350 31,529 39,179
 Australia 63,371 297,709 305,320 331,450 353,390 389,702
 Netherlands 61,432 170,484 170,018 169,829 163,662 171,496
 Iraq 58,278 119,440 103,939 90,554 82,954 85,986
 Spain 52,803 139,312 118,470 116,395 117,154 113,574
 Bahrain 52,385 207,855 206,723 220,601 235,598 218,046
 Iran 51,822 294,955 317,968 499,614 492,100 475,269
 Lebanon 50,620 124,672 123,001 129,575 135,516 147,201
 Indonesia 44,073 81,179 60,303 56,499 54,734 55,601
 Poland 40,691 111,945 106,888 112,254 80,647 66,054
 Afghanistan 39,784 75,721 44,777 34,181 28,659 51,984
 South Korea 37,716 160,427 151,194 160,106 130,978 103,219
 Belgium 36,619 87,110 78,870 74,983 73,775 71,379
 Sweden 36,085 106,434 113,888 122,558 119,435 113,522
 Romania 35,111 87,816 78,860 67,453 61,309 57,315
 Brazil 34,655 105,141 85,822 78,312 54,362 59,950
  Switzerland 34,111 120,623 121,675 121,399 108,782 110,785
 Sri Lanka 33,539 102,200 90,455 85,474 84,013 77,295
 Syria 31,972 69,876 49,979 48,270 60,212 67,943
 South Africa 30,479 118,638 112,635 103,886 91,168 100,262
 Turkey 29,930 86,077 87,322 97,302 97,464 94,448
   Nepal 28,581 54,386 60,836 56,322 47,588 28,910
 Uzbekistan 28,141 50,514 35,363 33,981 31,351 31,413
 Algeria 28,120 97,693 76,211 58,397 58,356 46,767
 Austria 27,630 78,751 74,857 72,779 72,587 79,293
 Ireland 27,105 88,675 89,341 94,229 92,991 87,268
 Japan 26,987 113,299 107,612 97,834 83,664 82,575
 Uganda 24,748 60,780 49,272 41,721 35,059 30,010
 Denmark 24,608 67,969 67,562 70,777 70,255 65,819
 Morocco 22,537 66,526 57,229 50,818 45,708 40,170
 Czech Republic 20,479 80,207 80,257 77,055 64,614 53,454

Medical tourism

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This section is an excerpt from Medical tourism § United Arab Emirates.[edit]
United Arab Emirates, especially Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah is a popular destination for medical tourism. The Dubai Health authority has been spearheading medical tourism into UAE, especially Dubai. However, hospitals providing medical tourism are spread all over the seven emirates. UAE has the distinction of having the maximum number of JCI accredited hospitals (under various heads).[26] UAE has inbound medical tourism as well as people going out for medical treatment. The inbound tourism usually is from African countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, etc. The outbound can be categorised into two segments - the local population (citizens of UAE) and the expats. The locals prefer to go to European destinations like the U.K., Germany etc. The expats prefer to go back to their home countries for treatment.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kamel, Deena. "UAE's travel industry set to create 23,600 new jobs this year". The National. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  2. ^ "Emirates Tourism Council reviews progress made in the achievement of UAE Tourism Strategy 2031". Ministry of Economy United Arab Emirates. 7 May 2024.
  3. ^ "World Tourism Barometer" (PDF). World Tourism Organization. May 2024. p. 19. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  4. ^ John, Issac. "UAE climbs 7 places globally in WEF's tourism index". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  5. ^ Yakheek, Mahfooz (2003). "STRATEGIC VISION OF HIS HIGHNESS SHEIKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN" (PDF). apps.dtic.mil. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  6. ^ "Built in 1979, the original Metropolitan Hotel was famed for being one of Dubai's first hotels and an institution in itself". Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  7. ^ "Dubai Tourist Information". Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved Sep 27, 2019.
  8. ^ "Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum: The Engineer and Architect of Dubai | Reach Personnel International". Archived from the original on 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  9. ^ "Sorry, the page you requested was not found". www.zu.ac.ae. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved Jan 30, 2020.
  10. ^ Hatemi-J, Abdulnasser (April 12, 2016). "On the tourism-led growth hypothesis in the UAE: a bootstrap approach with leveraged adjustments". Applied Economics Letters. 23 (6): 424–427. doi:10.1080/13504851.2015.1078440. S2CID 155815209 – via Taylor and Francis+NEJM.
  11. ^ "Tourism contributes AED 134bn to UAE's GDP". Hotel News ME. November 23, 2016. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  12. ^ "Department of Culture and Tourism". department of culture and tourism abu dhabi. Archived from the original on 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  13. ^ "Ten of the best Abu Dhabi beaches | Etihad Airways Atlas magazine". Atlas by Etihad. June 6, 2018. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  14. ^ Baby, Elin P. (March 9, 2019). "Got A Reason To Party Hard! Head To Abu Dhabi Right Now!". Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  15. ^ "Dubai among most expensive cities for expat living, coffee". May 30, 2018. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  16. ^ "Dubai Nightlife". www.dubainight.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  17. ^ "Planning for Tourism: The Case of Dubai". ResearchGate.
  18. ^ "12 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Fujairah | PlanetWare". www.planetware.com. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  19. ^ "In Fujairah, bulls fight for honour, not money or blood". gulfnews.com. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  20. ^ "10 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Ras Al-Khaimah | PlanetWare". www.planetware.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  21. ^ "Sharjah, the Cultural Capital of the Arab World Centro Sharjah". www.rotanatimes.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-06-21.
  22. ^ "14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Sharjah | PlanetWare". www.planetware.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  23. ^ Morgan, James. "UAE: Heart of Sharjah on track to complete by 2025 | ConstructionWeekOnline.com". www.constructionweekonline.com. Archived from the original on 2018-12-03. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  24. ^ "UAE: international tourist arrivals 2017". Statista. Archived from the original on 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  25. ^ "Dubai tourism: number of visitors 2018". Statista. Archived from the original on 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  26. ^ "JCI-Accredited Organizations | Joint Commission International".
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