Abu Dhabi welcomed a record 26.6 million visitors last year, with cultural sites, libraries and major events all recording strong numbers, according to new figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.
The department said more than 8.6 million visits were recorded across the emirate’s cultural sites and libraries during the year, while attendance at culture and leisure events rose 20 per cent to 4.2 million.
Louvre Abu Dhabi remained one of DCT Abu Dhabi’s most visited cultural sites, recording 1.4 million visitors in 2025. Qasr Al Hosn welcomed more than 843,000 visitors, up 22 per cent year on year.
Cultural sites featured 115 programmes last year, spanning heritage, performing arts, education, youth and family engagement, as well as community initiatives. More than 20 cultural sites and libraries were active across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
The year was also punctuated by a number of milestones, including the reopening of Al Maqta’a Museum and Al Ain Museum, as well as the opening of Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum.
Heritage festivals were also among the year’s biggest cultural draws. Al Hosn Festival, the Traditional Handicrafts Festival and the Maritime Heritage Festival collectively welcomed more than 608,000 visitors.
Across its wider calendar, 252 culture and leisure events took place throuhgout the year, attracting more than 4.2 million attendees. These included the Motn Festival, held across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra, which drew 252,988 visitors.
Other large-scale events included Coldplay’s four sold-out concerts at Zayed Sports City Stadium, attended by 193,470 people, as well as Liwa Village, the centrepiece of the Liwa International Festival, which welcomed more than 159,000 visitors. Abu Dhabi T10 cricket attracted about 100,000 attendees.
Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, said the figures reflected growth across both the cultural and tourism sectors.
“With a strong foundation of cultural engagement and robust tourism performance, Abu Dhabi continues to grow as a world-leading destination that offers exceptional experiences,” he said.
The wider tourism figures released by the department showed Abu Dhabi welcomed 5.9 million hotel guests in 2025, up 2.2 per cent year on year, alongside 338,000 guests across holiday homes and glamping sites. Hotel revenue rose 19.5 per cent to Dh9.1 billion, while occupancy reached 81 per cent.
International hotel guests increased 10 per cent compared with 2024, with India posting the strongest growth among key source markets, up 22 per cent. Russia, the UK, China and Saudi Arabia were also among the leading markets by volume.
Outside the capital, the Al Ain region welcomed 473,100 guests in 2025, up 9 per cent year on year, while the Al Dhafra region hosted 147,900 guests, up 3 per cent.
DCT Abu Dhabi also reported strong growth in business events, with the number of Mice events rising 37 per cent to 6,600 and delegate numbers increasing 40 per cent to 2.2 million.
