Dubai's tourism sector is showing positive signs of a recovery, new figures have shown, even as the broader Iran conflict drags on.
The city welcomed 869,000 international overnight visitors in August, the strongest month since the war began in late February, Dubai's government said on Sunday.
Hotel occupancy reached 66 per cent in August. That was 89 per cent of the city’s occupancy levels in August 2025.
By comparison, the city average in March was 36 per cent, Dubai Media Office said. Many hotels fell to single digits at the height of the war.
“The true grit of any city is tested not when the path is smooth, but during challenging times," said Issam Kazim, Dubai's top tourism official.
"And in line with our leadership’s direction, we do not wait for the perfect conditions to continue delivering."
The figures were released on the eve of Arabian Travel Market, one of the largest industry events of its kind worldwide, at Dubai World Trade Centre from Monday to Thursday.
"Our focus remains on close collaborations with our industry, strengthening demand across established and emerging markets, and continuing to give visitors compelling reasons to choose Dubai," added Mr Kazim, who is chief executive of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
A news release said Dubai welcomed 6.97 million international visitors in the first eight months of this year. In 2025, visitor numbers hit 19.59 million. It was widely expected to hit a long-time target of 20 million this year were it not for the conflict.
Western Europe remained the leading tourism contributor from January to August, accounting for 20 per cent of visitation, followed by South Asia at 17 per cent, the Gulf at 16 per cent, and CIS and Eastern Europe at 14 per cent.
Despite the challenges of the conflict, which at its height disrupted daily life, schools, business activities and flights, Dubai has added about 200,000 residents this year, taking the total to about 4.7 million.
