Dubai welcomes 9.88 million tourists in first half of 2025

Dubai has welcomed 9.88 million tourists from January to June, 2025, marking a 6 per cent increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

"Dubai continues to set new records in international visitation," highlighted His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai in a social media post.

It reflects "Dubai’s ability to create compelling experiences that meet the evolving needs of visitors has strengthened its status as one of the world’s most sought-after destinations".

"From exceptional infrastructure to unique attractions, Dubai offers a model of excellence in the tourism and hospitality sectors grounded in innovation," he highlighted.

According to data published by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the GCC and MENA proximity markets had a combined 26 per cent share of overall visitors to Dubai from January to June 2025, with 1.51 million (15 per cent) and 1.12 million (11 per cent) arrivals respectively.

Western Europe was the largest source market to Dubai, with 2.12 million visitors (22 per cent), followed by CIS and Eastern Europe (15 per cent), South Asia (15 per cent), North East and South East Asia (9 per cent), the Americas (7 per cent), Africa (4 per cent) and Australasia (2 per cent).

 In the first six months of 2025, the city expanded its hotel inventory with new openings across all segments and in various locations, including Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Umm Suqeim, Cheval Maison in Expo City, The Biltmore Hotel Villas in Al Barsha, and Vida Dubai Mall in Downtown Dubai.

Dubai’s accommodation portfolio also showed growth with upcoming high-profile openings such as the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai; ZUHHA Island on The World Islands; and Ciel Dubai Marina, Vignette Collection, which is set to be the world’s tallest all-hotel tower.

A series of tourism campaigns by the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), with international stars like Millie Bobby Brown, Jake Bongiovi, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have helped in the numbers.

"Dubai has become even more accessible, with a robust infrastructure and a business-friendly environment that fosters collaboration, while a year-round calendar of leisure, trade and MICE events have further diversified the city’s visitor base and generated significant economic impact," added Issam Kazim, CEO of DCTCM.

DET’s data revealed that the emirate’s hotel sector achieved impressive results across all hospitality metrics. From January to June 2025, average occupancy for hotels in Dubai stood at 80.6 per cent, up from 78.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.

Gastronomy continues to be a key attraction for international visitation and investment to Dubai, with the city’s diverse culinary scene consistently recognised globally. The fourth edition of the MICHELIN Guide Dubai was unveiled in May, and it featured a total of 119 restaurants across 35 cuisines, including the city’s first three-starred restaurants.

“Dubai’s strong tourism performance in the first half of 2025 reflects the enduring strength and adaptability of our economic model, even amid persistent global headwind," added Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General, DET.