Emirates: The UAE’s hospitality sector continues to show robust growth, with hotel establishments welcoming more than 16.1 million guests in the first six months of 2025, marking a 5.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year, the Emirates News Agency, WAM, reported, citing Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdullah bin Touq Al-Marri.

Speaking at the third meeting of the Hospitality Advisory Council for 2025, Al-Marri highlighted the sector’s strong performance as a testament to its resilience and competitiveness. 

“Thanks to the wise leadership’s directives, our hospitality sector continues to achieve increasing growth rates, reflecting its attractiveness at both regional and global levels,” he said.

The council, which included representatives from both public and private sectors as well as directors of major national and international hotel chains, reviewed key performance indicators for the first half of the year and discussed initiatives to further develop the industry.

Data presented during the meeting showed that the total number of hotel nights reached 56 million, a 7.3 percent increase over H1 2024. The average length of stay was 3.5 nights, with 1,243 hotel establishments in the UAE offering more than 216,000 rooms.

Al-Marri emphasized that the sector’s success is the result of close public-private sector collaboration, which underpins the sustainability and competitiveness of the UAE’s tourism landscape.