Abdullah Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, emphasised enhancing cooperation and partnerships with UN Tourism, exchanging expertise across tourism sectors. He made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nowais at FITUR Madrid 2026.
Abdullah Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, held bilateral meetings with tourism officials from Brazil, Portugal, Azerbaijan, and Argentina to strengthen cooperation, promote sustainable tourism, exchange expertise, and advance partnerships toward more developed and prosperous levels in the global tourism sector.
The UAE continues to consolidate its advanced model for building smart cities, underpinned by wide-ranging strategic investments, most notably in data centres, which form the operational backbone of smart urban systems and knowledge-based digital economy, said an industry expert.
UAE's hotel revenues for the 11-month period from January to November 2025 rose to AED44.4 billion ($12 billion), up 8.8% over the previous year, said a report. This was mainly driven by a spurt in the number of hotel guests which soared to 29.1 million, while guest nights exceeded 99.4 million.
After years of bold ambition and heavy investment, artificial intelligence adoption in both Saudi Arabia and UAE is entering a more performance-driven phase amid reports that AI could contribute $135 billion to the kingdom’s economy and $96 billion to the emirates' economy by 2030, said an expert.
UAE-based Takmeel Developments has announced the groundbreaking of its key residential project - Divine Al Barari - in Dubai, featuring 291 residential units with a mix of duplex penthouses, one- to three-bedroom apartments and studios as well as over 30 lifestyle and wellness amenities.
The UAE attracted over $45 billion in foreign direct investment last year, up nearly 50% year-on-year, even as global FDI declined by 11%, said a senior official.
Arada, a UAE-headquartered developer, registered year-on-year sales growth of 199% in the UAE during 2025, with AED17.3 billion ($4.71 billion) worth of homes sold across master-planned communities and luxury developments in Dubai and Sharjah.
India and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to double their bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032, underscoring the rapid expansion of economic ties under their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
ZāZEN Properties, a key real estate developer in UAE, is set to launch its debut in Dubai South with a new residential project, featuring 48 homes with a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. A low-density residential community, it is set for completion in November next year.
