Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector is experiencing a boom, which led to the addition of 37,000 new jobs in 2024 as more visitors flock to the emirate’s hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
Saood Al Hosani, undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), said Tuesday (December 24) that the sector is set to reach 225,000 jobs by the end of the year, up from 188,000 last year. Al Hosani also noted that the department aims to increase the Emiratisation rate to 10% by 2025, up from the current 3%, encouraging more UAE citizens to pursue careers in tourism.
“We really believe that Emiratis can differentiate the experiences within the hospitality and tourism sectors … there’s a change of perception and change of desire from the new generation to work in the hospitality sector,” Al Hosani said, according to The National.
Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector is projected to contribute $14.97 billion to the emirate’s GDP in 2024, an increase from $12.51 billion last year.
Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030
Abu Dhabi is working to reduce its reliance on oil by diversifying into key non-oil sectors, with a particular focus on tourism, aviation, and hospitality. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030 is set to create 178,000 new jobs, raising employment in tourism and hospitality to about 366,000 by the end of the decade. The UAE capital also aims to attract 39.3 million visitors annually, up from 24 million last year, focusing on high-spending tourists.
In April, the emirate unveiled plans to invest over $10 billion in infrastructure to boost international tourism and cultural events. The recently opened Terminal A at Zayed International Airport marks a significant milestone, with the unveiling of major attractions like the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi scheduled for next year.
Recently, Al Hosani outlined a “north star” target of adding $24.50 billion by 2030 to the emirate’s GDP.
Abu Dhabi’s Key Markets And Strategic Partners
Abu Dhabi’s international tourism is strongly supported by key markets such as China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, France, and the UK.
In May, DCT Abu Dhabi teamed up with Etihad Airways to launch the Abu Dhabi Stopover initiative, to attract over 100,000 visitors to the UAE capital in the next year. Etihad Airways is also focused on boosting point-to-point traffic to push demand for tourism.
