A total of 426,912 guests stayed at Abu Dhabi’s 166 hotels and hotel apartments in August, marking a rise of 13 per cent over the same month last year, according to figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism.

With this, the total number of guests staying in the emirate reached more than 3.1 million in the first eight months of the year reflecting a rise of seven per cent compared with the corresponding period in 2016, reported Wam, the Emirates official news agency.

Occupancy stood at 68 per cent during the period, the report said.

Saif Saeed Ghobash, director-general, Department of Culture and Tourism, said, "We are encouraged by August’s figures and the increased growth during a month which is traditionally a quieter time in the year.

“Our annual Abu Dhabi Summer Season, which ran from 20th July to 20th August, once again proved highly popular with domestic visitors, and we saw key international markets all showing notable growth during the month due to the focussed promotional and marketing campaigns locally, regionally and internationally.”