The Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) has just announced that the sector aims to generate AED 62 billion —equivalent to $16 billion— in economic contribution this year, 13% more than in 2024. This is not a theoretical target: hotel occupancy in the city already reached 82% in the first quarter of 2025.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, announced this figure during a roundtable held on the occasion of the opening of teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, the new immersive museum in the Saadiyat Cultural District. The figure did not emerge from a cabinet report: it came from the real pulse of the market, with a first quarter that already marked 4% growth in international hotel guests.
Tourism in Abu Dhabi is not only growing in volume, it is growing in quality. The main source markets in 2025 are India, China, Russia and the United Kingdom, and the hotel RevPAR (revenue per available room) reached AED 446 with a year-on-year increase of 24%. These are indicators that don’t lie: Abu Dhabi is attracting travelers with greater purchasing power.
Abu Dhabi Targets Non-Oil GDP with Its Tourism Strategy 2030
The most ambitious goal goes beyond 2025. Abu Dhabi wants tourism to contribute AED 90 billion to its non-oil GDP by 2030, which means nearly tripling the figure from just three years ago. To achieve this, the emirate’s Tourism Strategy 2030 combines cultural infrastructure, air connectivity, and the attraction of top-tier international events.
The percentage already speaks for itself: 85% of the UAE’s GDP currently comes from activities not linked to oil, according to data from Fitur 2026. Abu Dhabi is proving that diversification is not just a Gulf slogan, but a roadmap with measurable results and concrete deadlines.
The Saadiyat District, the Great Cultural Engine of Tourism in the Emirate
Cultural tourism is the lever Abu Dhabi has chosen to differentiate itself from its neighbor Dubai. The Saadiyat Cultural District already houses the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Hosn and teamLab Phenomena, and in 2025 itself, three new museums are planned to open on the same site. In the first half of the year, more than four million visitors toured the emirate’s cultural and heritage sites.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi alone received 784,606 visitors in that period, and the Cultural Foundation added a further 620,709. These figures show that Abu Dhabi is not competing solely in theme parks or hotel luxury: it is building an identity as a world-class cultural destination, with museums that justify a trip from Europe on their own.
Spain Among the Fastest-Growing Markets for Arrivals to Abu Dhabi
The Spanish market deserves a special mention. Abu Dhabi closed 2025 with a 51% increase in travelers from Spain, according to data presented by DCT Abu Dhabi itself at Fitur 2026 in Madrid. Behind this figure there is a clear reason: air connectivity grew by 29%, with more direct frequencies and optimized connecting routes from Spain’s main airports.
Spanish tourism to Abu Dhabi fits a specific profile: upper-middle-class travelers interested in combining culture, gastronomy and unique experiences. The emirate’s commitment to events such as the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix and the arrival of Etihad Airways with tourist stopovers have done the rest to place the destination on the Spanish radar.
| Indicator | 2024 Data | 2025 Data |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism contribution to GDP | AED ~55 billion | AED 62 billion (target) |
| Hotel occupancy (Q1) | ~75% | 82% (city) / 79% (emirate) |
| Cultural visitors (H1) | ~2.7 M | +4 M (+47%) |
| Travelers from Spain | Base | +51% year-on-year |
| Hotel RevPAR | ~AED 360 | AED 446 (+24%) |
Abu Dhabi Tourism in 2030: 39 Million Visitors and a Transformed Economy
The projections are as ambitious as they are credible. Abu Dhabi aims to receive 39.3 million annual visitors by 2030, with a tourism contribution of AED 90 billion to non-oil GDP. The phased opening of museums in Saadiyat, the development of Yas Island and sustained investment in cultural infrastructure are the pillars underpinning that roadmap.
For the Spanish traveler, the advice is clear: Abu Dhabi is not yet as overcrowded as Dubai, and that is precisely its greatest competitive advantage right now. Those who visit the emirate in the next two or three years will find a city in full cultural bloom, with newly opened museums and top-tier hotel quality at still competitive prices before the destination reaches full tourism maturity.
