New attractions set to drive Dubai’s economy

New attractions set to drive Dubai’s economy

A spate of new tourist attractions and a raft of visitor-friendly initiatives have put Dubai firmly on track to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s most-favoured destination for international visitors, giving a critical fillip to the emirate’s economic rebound.

Dubai, which has topped the “Best of the Best Destinations” awards, staged a strong recovery in the tourism sector by recording 10 million international tourist arrivals during the first nine months of 2022 compared to 3.85 million visitors in the same period last year, reflecting a growth of 136 per cent, according to Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

In the first half of 2022, the emirate drew 7.12 visitors, recording more than 183 per cent growth compared to the 2.52 million tourists who visited during the same period in 2021, according to DET data.

The tourism revenue of the UAE, which was ranked second among the safest countries in the world in 2021 and ranked third among the safest cities for solo female travellers, surpassed $5 billion in the first half of this year compared to $3 billion in the same period last year.

The number of hotel guests that the country received rose to 12 million — registering a 42 per