• DET’s bi-annual event, held at Global Village, courtesy of Dubai Holding Entertainment, was attended by more than 1,200 stakeholders from across the city’s tourism ecosystem

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) hosted its second and final City Briefing of 2025 on 9 December, bringing together more than 1,200 stakeholders from across the hospitality, aviation, retail, and F&B sectors, as well as government entities and members of the media, to reflect on the collective progress being made across the destination, and the roadmap for further growth and enhancements.

Held at Global Village, courtesy of Dubai Holding Entertainment, the latest edition of the bi-annual stakeholder engagement platform featured an enhanced interactive format that underscored the critical role of public-private partnerships in advancing the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, and further consolidating Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for business and leisure. DET and industry leaders participated in presentations, a panel discussion and fireside chat that examined collaborative efforts to further bolster the tourism sector.

In the presence of His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the latest edition began with a comprehensive presentation from His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), part of DET, which focused on the city’s achievements and growth strategy for 2026. Building on the record 18.72 million international overnight visitors achieved in 2024, Dubai has continued its upward trajectory in 2025, with 15.70 million international visitors welcomed between January and October, a 5% year-on-year increase. Hotel performances have also remained strong, with average occupancy reaching 79.4%, compared to 77% over the same period last year, and the average daily rate rising 6% to AED 531. Revenue per available room stood at AED 421, a 9% YoY growth, underscoring robust demand across all market segments. At the end of October, there were 152,875 available rooms across 820 establishments.

His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “As Dubai marks another year of outstanding progress, our tourism success continues to be driven by collaboration, innovation and resilience. Guided by the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, we are committed to creating distinctive, future-ready experiences that captivate a global audience. Our strategic market diversification, year-round campaigns, and emphasis on sustainability and accessibility have strengthened Dubai’s position as a world-leading destination, while opening new opportunities for residents, visitors and investors. Undoubtedly, this performance reflects the strength of our public-private partnerships and the collective effort of our varied communities in showcasing the breadth and diversity of Dubai’s offerings.

“The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism will continue to redefine possibilities, advancing sustainable initiatives, embracing digital transformation, and expanding our reach through unique campaigns. Our relentless focus on innovation and excellence underscores our ambition to make Dubai the best city in the world to visit, live, and work in.”

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: “By maintaining a vibrant calendar of events that align with trends, interest and the expectations of our diverse audience, we are maintaining our competitive edge as a world-class destination, contributing to Dubai’s ongoing success by attracting global and regional visitors, increasing spend across a variety of sectors, and elevating the city’s international appeal. A prime example was the recent Dubai Fitness Challenge: more than just an event, it is a movement that inspires millions to embrace healthier lifestyles, reflecting Dubai’s strong community spirit and its ability to transform lives. During the 31st edition of the ongoing Dubai Shopping Festival, residents and visitors can expect an unparalleled line-up of shopping, family-oriented events, live music, and extraordinary entertainment, further highlighting Dubai's position as a premier global destination for unforgettable experiences.”

Spotlight on innovation and incentives

A focal point of the event was the new Hotel Incentive Programme for investors, launched by DET in October. Designed to stimulate hotel development in future high-growth areas in the city, through the 100% reimbursement of the Dubai Municipality fee on room sales and the Tourism Dirham for a period of two years after opening, the initiative applies to new hotels, resorts, hotel apartments, and other facilities located within Dubai South, Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Parks, and the Dubai Islands.

New and upcoming developments across the city were also highlighted including the world’s tallest hotel, Ciel Dubai Marina, Vignette Collection by IHG; Mandarin Oriental Downtown; wellbeing resort Therme Dubai; Dubai Museum of Art (DUMA); Palm Jebel Ali; Dubai Exhibition Centre; Dubai Square Mall, Ghaf Woods Mall and the Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) expansion. Addressing the growing global interest in not just visiting Dubai, but also relocating to the city, there was a focus on the city’s developing infrastructure to cater to the growing population and tourism numbers. Ongoing projects in this space include the construction of the Dubai Metro Blue Line, as well as 226km of roads and 115 bridges and tunnels across key development areas, spearheaded by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). Making the city more pedestrian-friendly, the Dubai Walk Master Plan will also see the development of 3,300km of new walkways and the rehabilitation of 2,300km of existing routes by 2040.

The spotlight was also turned on leading institutions and attractions that reached significant milestones including Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) celebrating 20 years, Global Village marking its 30th edition, The Emirates Group marking its 40th year, Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai commemorating 20 years, Dubai Design District celebrating its 10th anniversary, and the 25th anniversary of Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, in addition to events such as the 30th edition of horse racing’s Dubai World Cup in March 2026 and the Dubai Fitness Challenge marking 10 years in 2026.

Ramadan in Dubai

Another key focus at the City Briefing was Ramadan in 2026, and how Dubai will achieve a balance between being open and accessible to international visitors, while promoting its identity and heritage throughout the Holy Month. Hotel occupancy data indicates strong forward bookings, reflecting confidence in Dubai's ability to allow people to enjoy the city’s world-class gastronomy and hospitality, while also giving them the opportunity to step into a period of cultural immersion and discover a communal spirit.

Impact of global campaigns and accolades

Global recognition explored at the event included Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel’ accolade naming cultural food tours in Old Dubai as one of the top global experiences for 2026, a reflection of Dubai’s cultural offering as well as its status as a global culinary capital. The latter was further evidenced by the 2025 MICHELIN Guide Dubai that features 119 restaurants across 35 cuisines including the city's first MICHELIN three-starred restaurants, FZN by Björn Frantzén and Trèsind Studio, the first Indian restaurant in the world to ever achieve this status.

Highlighting Dubai’s ever-evolving narrative on the world stage, DET presented updates on major global campaigns that continue to shape international perceptions of the city. These included ‘Dubai, What’s Not To Love?’, positioning the city as the ultimate winter destination, ‘Find Your Vibe, Find Your Dubai’, which involved key opinion leaders to reach African markets; ‘Dubai The Ultimate Travel Hack’, which focused on major booking periods in Japan; ‘Dubai X Douyin’, which profiled the city as a digital-first destination to appeal to China; ‘Dubai X GoPro KK Day’, an adventure-packed content creation exercise in Asia-Pacific; as well as ‘Dubai, Who’s Ready?’, a celebrity-filled campaign starring leading South Korean actors Park Seo Jun, Choi Woo Shik, and Park Hyung Sik.

Sustainability, accessibility and community

Underscoring the city’s commitment to sustainability, the Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) Stamp, which aligns with both the D33 Agenda and the UAE Net Zero 2050 by recognising hotels that meet the highest compliance with sustainability standards, took centre stage. The application window for establishments to enter for the third cycle of the DST Stamp recently closed, and enhanced requirements will be introduced for the next edition. Stakeholders were also provided with updates on DUBAI REEF, a pioneering purpose-built reef development and one of the largest in the world. More than 60% of the planned reef modules are now fabricated with over 35% of them deployed, providing resilient habitats for local fish populations.

Following the announcement in April that Dubai had become the first Certified Autism Destination™ in the Eastern Hemisphere, DET reaffirmed its commitment to continued progress by exploring new accessibility requirements for hotels, ensuring they can meet the needs of People of Determination.

The #MyDubai initiative, which tells Dubai’s story through its diverse communities, announced its latest figures, showing that it engaged over 1,500 advocates with a reach exceeding 3.1 million online. The launch earlier this year of the #MyDubai Communities platform has also been a resounding success, with 130 interest-based communities already attracting thousands of followers, fostering connections among residents and reinforcing the values of the UAE’s Year of Community.

DFC success and what’s on the agenda for DFRE

In his presentation, His Excellency Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), discussed the success of the recently-concluded Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC), which this year attracted record participation from over 3 million residents and visitors, and the impact the event has had on inspiring communities to lead healthier lifestyles. He also spoke about the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), which began this week and will run until 11 January. DSF is a key fixture of the Dubai Retail Calendar, which celebrates its 10th edition in 2026.

Stakeholder engagement

Jeremy Jauncey, CEO and Founder of Beautiful Destinations, joined Aida Al Busaidy, Associate Vice President of Consumer Advocacy at Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), for a fireside chat, discussing the company’s position as a global storytelling and strategy leader and the collaboration with DET on the launch of the Beautiful Destinations Academy, Powered by Dubai. ​​A pioneering professional development initiative aimed at setting new, global benchmarks for travel content creation and meeting the rising demand for skilled marketing talent within the tourism sector, the Academy has introduced formal standards tailored to digital creators, bringing structure, credibility and accountability to a previously informal field of work. The fireside chat explored the academy’s reasons for choosing Dubai as its home including leadership, global connectivity, and an ecosystem aligned with the city’s D33 vision for the creator economy.

Spotlighting the aviation sector, a panel discussion featured His Excellency Issam Kazim, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and CCO, Emirates, and Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports. Moderated by Sarah Salman, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications at DCTCM, the panel saw the leaders discuss how collaborative strategies are essential for Dubai’s continued growth as a global hub for trade and tourism. Key discussion points included DET’s plans to support the sector in streamlining journeys and enhancing traveller touchpoints, Dubai Airports’ operational priorities at Dubai International Airport (DXB), and the pivotal role of Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in supporting future capacity expansion. The session also explored Emirates’ next phase of growth, underpinned by the airline’s long-term fleet and network strategy, with a focus on capturing emerging markets and strengthening connectivity through DWC’s planned development as the world’s largest aviation hub.

His Excellency Issam Kazim added: “As we look ahead, we are inspired by the robust industry performance, an expanding portfolio of new openings and numerous citywide initiatives that promise to elevate Dubai’s destination infrastructure and capabilities. As we prepare for a dynamic calendar of global events and the launch of more landmark attractions, we are confident that these developments will further enhance our appeal and enrich the Dubai experience. With the continued trust and collaboration of our partners and stakeholders, we are poised to build on the current momentum, driving sustained growth and innovation across the sector as we move through 2026 and beyond.”

About the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)

With the ultimate vision of making Dubai the world’s leading commercial centre, investment hub and tourism destination, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is mandated to support the Government in positioning the emirate as a major hub for global economy and tourism, and in boosting the city’s economic and tourism competitiveness indicators, in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, which aims to double the size of the emirate’s economy by 2033 and further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for business and leisure.

Under this remit, DET is driving efforts to further enhance Dubai’s diversified, innovative service-based economy to attract top global talent, deliver a world-class business environment and accelerate productivity growth. Additionally, DET is supporting Dubai’s vision to become the world’s best city to visit, live and work in by promoting its diverse destination proposition, unique lifestyle and outstanding quality of life, overall.

DET is the principal authority for planning, supervising, developing and marketing Dubai’s business and tourism sectors. It is also responsible for licensing and classifying all types of businesses, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. DET’s portfolio includes Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation (DBLC), Dubai Corporation for Consumer Protection and Fair Trade (DCCPFT), Dubai SME, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) and Dubai College of Tourism (DCT).

For further information, please contact:
mediarelations@dubaidet.ae