The Middle East conflict has dealt a major blow to tourism in the region and begun to weigh on travel demand far beyond its borders, with international tourist arrivals in the Middle East plunging 22% in the first half of 2026 as global tourism managed only modest growth of 0.4%.
Top officials of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Airports have agreed to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the two entities to ease traffic flow and passenger mobility in the Emirate.
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has signed nine new joint marketing partnerships with Indian travel companies to bring 75,500 additional visitors to the emirate, widening connections with Abu Dhabi’s number one source market.
Emirates signed more than 30 agreements spanning tourism boards across 16 countries, and organisations at the centre of new customer segments and communities, a the Arabian Travel Market 2026, which closed in Dubai on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has advanced a series of aviation sector partnerships and agreements, including new MoUs with European air navigation organisations and an economic licence for air cargo handling at AlUla International Airport.
Visa-free access, seamless travel experiences and stronger connectivity could make the Asia-GCC corridor a major growth engine for the Middle East’s travel sector, industry leaders said at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 in Dubai.
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Etihad Airways are expanding the Abu Dhabi Stopover programme to Al Ain as international visitor numbers continue to grow.
Alrajhi Bank and flyadeal have announced a strategic partnership integrating the bank’s Mokafaa loyalty programme into flyadeal’s booking experience, allowing customers to earn and redeem points when booking eligible flights.
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 recognised six exhibitors for outstanding stand design, creativity and technology. Dubai DET, Rove Hotels and Agilysys won design awards, Marriott was recognised for business, DCT Abu Dhabi for stand features, and HBX Group for technology.
Musafir Holdings has agreed to acquire the remaining 75% of FLYCT MEA Holdings, which operates the Cleartrip.ae and Flyin.com online travel platforms in the Middle East.
