Dubai Attracts 8.68 Million Tourists in First Five Months of 2025
Passengers queue at Dubai International Airport, following Iran Monday's attack on a U.S. military base, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer
DUBAI, June 25 (Bernama-WAM) -- Dubai welcomed 8.68 million international tourists between January and May this year, marking a 7 per cent increase compared to the 8.12 million visitors recorded during the same period in 2024, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
According to the Tourism Performance Report January-May 2025, released Tuesday by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the city received 1.53 million international visitors in May alone.
Western Europe remained the leading source market, contributing 1.917 million tourists or 22 per cent of total arrivals. This was followed by Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eastern Europe with 1.396 million visitors (16 per cent).
bootstrap slideshow
South Asia ranked third, accounting for 1.242 million visitors (14 per cent), while the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region contributed 1.275 million visitors (15 per cent).
The Middle East and North Africa region followed with 989,000 visitors (11 per cent), ahead of Northeast and Southeast Asia with a combined 771,000 visitors (9 per cent).
The Americas accounted for 601,000 visitors (7 per cent), while Africa contributed 346,000 (4 per cent) and Australia 141,000 (2 per cent) during the five months.
As of end-May 2025, Dubai's hotel inventory had expanded to 825 establishments with a total of 153,356 rooms, up from 822 hotels offering 150,202 rooms during the same period last year.
The average hotel occupancy rate rose to 83 per cent, compared to 81 per cent in 2024, with total occupied room nights increasing by 4 per cent to 19.09 million, up from 18.34 million.
The average length of stay was 3.8 nights, while the average daily room rate reached AE$620, a 5 per cent rise from AE$590 last year.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
29 minutes ago
- Borneo Post
Sarawak's self-reliant infrastructure surge sets it apart from federally dependent Sabah, says logistics expert
Ramli said the decision to replace the Infrastructure Development Trust Fund with a unified modern financing mechanism highlights Sarawak's focus on project efficiency and accountability. — Bernama photo LABUAN (June 25): Despite sharing similar geographies and economic aspirations, Sarawak and Sabah have taken markedly different paths in infrastructure development. Former President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Malaysia and vice-president of CILT International for Southeast Asia, Datuk Dr Ramli Amir, said Sarawak has emerged as a model of self-reliance, independently funding large-scale infrastructure projects. At the same time, Sabah remains heavily dependent on federal allocations, resulting in development delays and fragmented logistics. 'Over the past decade, Sarawak has allocated billions of ringgit toward roads, bridges, ports, and industrial zones, all without resorting to debt or federal funding. 'The state government's fiscal discipline and adoption of innovative financing, including an alternative funding model introduced in 2019, have enabled accelerated infrastructure rollout. 'Sarawak's commitment to strategic financial management is exemplified by the RM11 billion invested in ten bridges, executed without external borrowing,' he said in a statement to Bernama today. Ramli said the decision to replace the Infrastructure Development Trust Fund with a unified modern financing mechanism highlights the state's focus on project efficiency and accountability. He added that political stability and a long-term vision have also enabled Sarawak to maintain consistent development through initiatives such as the Coastal Road Network, the Second Trunk Road, deep-seaports, and free industrial zones. 'In contrast, Sabah faces persistent infrastructure gaps, largely due to its dependence on federal grants. Although the state has gained autonomy for projects below RM50 million, larger infrastructure ventures remain subject to federal processes. 'This has resulted in underinvestment and chronic delays, such as those plaguing the Pan Borneo Sabah Highway,' Ramli said. He noted that the logistics sector in Sabah is particularly strained, with transport costs reportedly 30 to 50 per cent higher than in Peninsular Malaysia, and public transport penetration in Kota Kinabalu lags far behind Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, many rural areas still lack basic infrastructure, and poor connectivity continues to hinder economic growth. Sabah's reliance on fragmented and reactive infrastructure planning has limited its potential for sustainable economic transformation. Commenting on the contrast, Ramli said Sarawak's success is rooted in its institutional leadership and fiscal autonomy. 'The state's ability to independently manage and finance its infrastructure agenda should serve as a wake-up call for Sabah to strengthen its internal capacities,' he said. – Bernama infrastructure innovative Ramli Amir sabah sarawak transport
Barnama
31 minutes ago
- Barnama
Enhance Service Delivery, Expedite Project Implementation, Nga Tells Local Authorities
KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 (Bernama) -- All 156 local authorities (PBT) nationwide have been urged to enhance service delivery and speed up the implementation of people-centric development projects to create a more investor-friendly climate. Housing and Local Government Minister (KPKT) Nga Kor Ming really means business as he said this step is important to improve the ease of doing business, to stimulate the country's economic growth and increasing Malaysia's global competitiveness. He welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's recent call to address longstanding project delays and bureaucratic red tape that have persisted since the 1980s, stressing that this must not persist. 'The MADANI Government is committed to strengthening economic growth through high-quality public service, especially through speedy approval and implementation, to create an investor-friendly environment. 'Now, Malaysia has become a rapidly developing country in the world with a jump of 11 spots from 34th to 23rd in the World Competitiveness Ranking. Therefore, all local authorities need to move quickly because time is of the essence,' he said in a statement today. Following that, Loke said KPKT has introduced a performance assessment system based on a 'traffic light' rating, as a consideration for the approval of allocations which involves three evaluation components, namely procurement efficiency and compliance (30 per cent); schedule of project's progress and adherence to technical specifications (40 per cent); and timeliness in submitting complete documents for claims and fund disbursement (30 per cent. 'Based on these 'traffic light ranking', PBTs are categorised as Green for excellent performance with increased funding; Yellow for moderate performance with funding to be reassessed; and Red for poor performance with funding to be cut or cancelled,' he said. Nga said the ministry has also set the maximum approval times for a development project based on the scale of the project, namely the approval period for small-scale projects is set at 14 days and up to 60 days for medium-scale projects. 'For large-scale projects, the maximum approval period is 120 days, including the open tender process. This ruling is to ensure that project approvals can be carried out more quickly and systematically according to the needs of each scale,' he added.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
US will not sanction Russia yet, Rubio tells Politico
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the American Compass fifth anniversary gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard/File Photo (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Politico that the United States will not impose further sanctions on Russia yet, and still wants room to negotiate a peace deal. "If we did what everybody here wants us to do, and that is come in and crush them with more sanctions, we probably lose our ability to talk to them about the ceasefire and then who's talking to them?," Rubio told Politico in an interview on the sidelines of the NATO summit. Rubio added that President Donald Trump will "know the right time and place" for new economic measures against Russia, and that the administration is working with Congress to make sure they allow Trump the appropriate flexibility, Politico reported. "If there's an opportunity for us to make a difference and get them (Russia) to the table, we're going to take it," Rubio said. (Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
