The UAE's travel and tourism sector is projected to create 26,400 additional jobs this year to reach 925,000 jobs in 2025, with international visitor spend reaching record levels, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
The number of jobs forecast for this year is 2.9 per cent higher than 898,600 jobs in 2024 and up 21.7 per cent from the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, the tourism body said in its latest Economic Impact Research report in collaboration with Oxford Economics.
"2024 was a record year for the UAE in terms of travel and tourism, it really knocked it out of the park, it surpassed all levels, beating 2019," Julia Simpson, WTTC president and chief executive, told The National.
"Normally when you've had those kind of records, you're almost defying gravity, so what's 2025 going to look like? The numbers are not settling, if anything the growth is going to accelerate."
International traveller's spend in the UAE is expected to grow 5.2 per cent year-on-year to reach a record Dh228.5 billion ($62.2 billion) in 2025, WTTC data shows. Meanwhile, spending by domestic travellers in the country will hit Dh60 billion this year, up 4.3 per cent on 2024 and 47 per cent above 2019.
"I really must impress on you how incredible this is if you compare it to other parts of the world," Ms Simpson said, pointing to a projected decline in international visitor spending in the US this year.
"The UAE is really in an exceptional position, we think 2025 is going to be a further record-breaking year."
The sector's contribution to the UAE economy in 2025 is Dh267.5 billion, or 12.9 per cent of its GDP, according to WTTC forecasts.
Growth is being propelled by its focus on building smart cities, use of biometric technology at airports, easy visa procedures and strong air connectivity by its national carriers, Ms Simpson said.
"That energy has never stalled, Dubai keeps reinventing itself and this is what's so amazing about it," she said, pointing to strong visitor numbers from diverse source markets like India, Russia and the UK.
"Infrastructure, [air] connectivity, political vision – it's those things that have made it a really great place, plus the warm welcome of the people."
Trump's Gulf aviation deals
US President Donald Trump's four-day trip last week that took him through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE was marked by a flurry of announcements. Aerospace and defence pacts featured in a major way, with Boeing signing a commercial deal with Qatar Airways that was the US plane maker's biggest plane order in its history.
Calling the deals "highly significant", Ms Simpson said Mr Trump is "doing a great job at flying the flag high for the US and getting some really good deals for Boeing".
Airlines will benefit when there is "healthy competition" between the duopoly of the rival plane makers Airbus and Boeing, she added.
"But one of the main beneficiaries of these deals is that the world is on the move and we've got more people now travelling for business, leisure and seeing relatives than any other time in the history of the world."
Disney magic
The constant pipeline of new tourist attractions opening in the UAE will help attract a bigger diversity of travellers to the country, the WTTC chief said.
Disneyland Abu Dhabi is set to become the company’s seventh global destination and the first in the Middle East. With an estimated opening date in the early 2030s, the project is expected to boost tourism and support local businesses.
"What's wonderful is that the UAE is really focusing on high quality entertainment, artistic, cultural and sport activities for visitors," Ms Simpson said.
"The advent of Disney is absolutely the biggest win for Abu Dhabi … because you're attracting different types of visitors. Not only do you attract people from different countries, but now you're also going for different demographics."
She added: "It really popularises, in a very symbolic way, what is already a popular destination."
The much-awaited Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum, as well as attractions such as Velodrome Abu Dhabi, are also due to open this year.
"Travel and tourism is about experiencing different cultures and getting to know different people. In a world that can feel a bit troubled, this cultural connectivity is so critical for all of us," she said.
UAE's 2035 outlook
One million people in the UAE are expected to be working in travel and tourism by 2035, underscoring the sector’s central role in economic diversification and national growth, WTTC said.
The sector is anticipated to contribute Dh287.8 billion to the UAE economy by 2035, representing 10.4 per cent of the national GDP.
Dubai's new terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport that is scheduled for opening in 2032 will help propel the sector's growth.
The investment in infrastructure and political will to adopt "seamless digital travel" will bring in more visitors, Ms Simpson said.
"Seamless travel will make Dubai and UAE a much more attractive to go to than other places in the world that make it difficult to get visas," she said.
