Helicopter tour Dubai celebration flight

 

Tourism in the United Arab Emirates is an important part of the Emirati economy. In 2023, the tourism sector employed 809,300 people^[1] and contributed 220 billion dirham to the national gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for 12% of it.^[2] In 2024, the UAE was the 6th destination globally by international tourism receipts according to the World Tourism rankings,^[3] and it ranked 18th globally in the Travel and Tourism Development Index.^[4]

The country's major tourist attractions include the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, and Al Hajar Mountains in Fujairah.^{[5][citation needed]}

History

[edit]

When the country was first formed in 1971 and freed from British control, the country itself did not have any sufficient tourist industry and the economic situation of the newly established nation was weak, despite massive oil wealth. Realizing the need to develop the country, and the awareness of oil limits, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who initiated the foundation of the UAE, envisioned the plan to diversify the country's economy, in which tourism was specifically regarded.^[6] The envision was eventually carried out, and in 1979, Sheikh Zayed opened the country's first-ever hotel, the Metropolitan Hotel Dubai located in Dubai.^[7]

The development of tourism in the United Arab Emirates was heavily linked to the development of tourism in Dubai, which was one of the earliest emirates in the country to open for tourists. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai from 1958 till 1990, realised one day Dubai would run out of oil and started building an economy that would outlast it.^[8] Sheikh Rashid, together with Sheikh Zayed, was the instrumental leaders of leading the country's tourism, having made a joint declaration for the founding of the Emirates.^[9] In 1989 the Dubai Commerce and Tourism Promotion Board was established, to promote Dubai as a luxury destination for the up-tier market and influential business sectors. In January 1997, it was replaced with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).^[10]

Since 2000s, the United Arab Emirates have experienced a significant tourist boom, and increasing life standard and quality made the expenditure on tourism to rise, thus making it more important to the national economy.^[11][12]

Tourist destinations

[edit]

Main article: List of tourist attractions in the United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi

[edit]

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and is the second most popular tourist destination in the country, under the management of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.^[13] This is also the center of Formula One race in the country, the Yas Marina Circuit. Nonetheless, the city is also famous for its landscapes, given its proximity to the Persian Gulf. There are over ten beaches functioning in the city serving for tourist purpose.^[14] The city is popular for its nightlife, more so than the more populous Dubai as it has lesser restriction and regular laws.^[15] Abu Dhabi will become the home of Disneyland Abu Dhabi, the first Disney theme park in the Middle East.^[16]

Dubai

[edit]

Dubai is the most visited city in the United Arab Emirates, the most expensive city in the GCC and one of the most expensive cities in the world.^[17] It is also the home of the two tallest towers in the world, the Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa, the latter occupies the top position. Nightlife in the city is also widely promoted.^[18] The city is often seen as a symbol of rapid tourist success in the nation. Its richness encompassed by the rapid development and the mix with the local Arab culture made it a popular destination for tourists to travel. However, lack of general tourism development remains an obstacle which the Emirati authorities have sought to tackle.^[19]

Fujairah shares the Al-Hajar Mountains with Ras Al Khaimah, a major tourist attraction in the country. Outside the Hajar Mountains, the Fujairah Fort, Bitnah Fort, Snoopy Island, Masafi and Al Hayl Castle are also attractive destinations.^[20] Fujairah holds a distinction for having a bull butting culture, a result of Portuguese colonization from 17th century.^[21]

Ras Al Khaimah is known for its natural landscape.^[22] The Al Hajar Mountains, in particular with mount Jebel Jais, the highest mountain of the country, offers views over craggy peaks down to the coastal plain, making this a common spot for photographers, particularly in the late afternoon when the orange-hued rocks glow.^{[citation needed]} The world's longest zipline is also based in Ras Al Khaimah's Jebel Jais. Other include Dhayah Fort and its beach.^[23]

By 2027, Ras Al Khaimah will feature the first integrated resort and casino in the country when Wynn Al Marjan Island opens.^[24][25]

Sharjah is a major commercial center of the UAE. Sharjah is perhaps, among the most traditional tourist center, due to initiative efforts by the emirate's leadership to keep its spirit within the growing modernization. In 1998, Sharjah was awarded the "Cultural Capital of the Arab World" title by UNESCO representing the United Arab Emirates.^[26] Major destinations include the Sharjah Art Museum, Al Noor Mosque, Souk Al Markazi and Sharjah Heritage Area.^[27] A cultural heritage project, Heart of Sharjah, has been undertaken to preserve and restore the old town of Sharjah and return it to its 1950s state.^[28]

Yearly tourist arrivals in millions^[29]

Country	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
India	1,224,349	2,855,096	2,778,160	2,511,933	2,080,380	1,881,489
Oman	634,879	2,814,152	2,172,910	1,928,292	2,021,958	1,716,930
Saudi Arabia	512,875	1,897,471	1,993,646	1,876,316	1,921,916	1,662,435
Pakistan	418,973	840,222	819,683	763,396	767,724	671,847
United Kingdom	418,385	1,367,997	1,365,160	1,452,455	1,460,328	1,394,118
Russia	335,016	866,857	800,253	610,427	304,295	269,493
Germany	253,973	827,837	792,303	767,048	764,715	726,957
Egypt	238,226	357,084	328,049	297,658	302,560	301,952
United States	208,800	757,353	747,691	741,473	735,147	758,875
France	188,476	444,657	403,945	353,726	337,847	335,024
China	175,297	998,278	844,005	766,972	529,103	445,109
Italy	106,088	312,493	291,944	281,176	286,806	281,251
Philippines	104,438	378,423	375,938	379,754	365,749	322,297
Kuwait	98,576	378,109	399,795	463,708	492,360	489,425
Nigeria	79,630	250,568	172,476	128,676	145,725	162,086
Kazakhstan	78,072	164,219	140,801	93,968	89,723	85,625
Ukraine	73,819	154,001	123,221	83,670	77,397	70,154
Jordan	71,707	165,852	165,821	173,465	176,794	176,971
Canada	66,003	200,321	189,915	202,461	214,492	210,620
Bangladesh	63,674	158,108	132,931	31,350	31,529	39,179
Australia	63,371	297,709	305,320	331,450	353,390	389,702
Netherlands	61,432	170,484	170,018	169,829	163,662	171,496
Iraq	58,278	119,440	103,939	90,554	82,954	85,986
Spain	52,803	139,312	118,470	116,395	117,154	113,574
Bahrain	52,385	207,855	206,723	220,601	235,598	218,046
Iran	51,822	294,955	317,968	499,614	492,100	475,269
Lebanon	50,620	124,672	123,001	129,575	135,516	147,201
Indonesia	44,073	81,179	60,303	56,499	54,734	55,601
Poland	40,691	111,945	106,888	112,254	80,647	66,054
Afghanistan	39,784	75,721	44,777	34,181	28,659	51,984
South Korea	37,716	160,427	151,194	160,106	130,978	103,219
Belgium	36,619	87,110	78,870	74,983	73,775	71,379
Sweden	36,085	106,434	113,888	122,558	119,435	113,522
Romania	35,111	87,816	78,860	67,453	61,309	57,315
Brazil	34,655	105,141	85,822	78,312	54,362	59,950
Switzerland	34,111	120,623	121,675	121,399	108,782	110,785
Sri Lanka	33,539	102,200	90,455	85,474	84,013	77,295
Syria	31,972	69,876	49,979	48,270	60,212	67,943
South Africa	30,479	118,638	112,635	103,886	91,168	100,262
Turkey	29,930	86,077	87,322	97,302	97,464	94,448
Nepal	28,581	54,386	60,836	56,322	47,588	28,910
Uzbekistan	28,141	50,514	35,363	33,981	31,351	31,413
Algeria	28,120	97,693	76,211	58,397	58,356	46,767
Austria	27,630	78,751	74,857	72,779	72,587	79,293
Ireland	27,105	88,675	89,341	94,229	92,991	87,268
Japan	26,987	113,299	107,612	97,834	83,664	82,575
Uganda	24,748	60,780	49,272	41,721	35,059	30,010
Denmark	24,608	67,969	67,562	70,777	70,255	65,819
Morocco	22,537	66,526	57,229	50,818	45,708	40,170
Czech Republic	20,479	80,207	80,257	77,055	64,614	53,454

• Visa policy of the United Arab Emirates
• List of museums in the United Arab Emirates

• Travel & Tourism – United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Burj Al Arab برج العرب
Jumeirah Burj Al Arab in 2007
Interactive map of the Burj Al Arab برج العرب area
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Luxury hotel
Architectural style	Structural expressionism
Location	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Construction started	10 July 1994; 31 years ago (1994-07-10)
Completed	1999; 27 years ago (1999)
Opening	1 December 1999; 26 years ago (1999-12-01)[1]
Cost	US$1 billion[2]
Management	Jumeirah
Height
Architectural	321 m (1,053 ft)
Top floor	197.5 m (648 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	56 (3 below ground)[3]
Lifts/elevators	18[3]
Design and construction
Architect	Tom Wright of WKA
Developer	Jumeirah Group
Structural engineer	Atkins
Main contractor	Murray & Roberts / Concor
Other information
Number of rooms	202[3]
Website
www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/burj-al-arab-jumeirah
References
[3][4][5][6][7]

The Jumeirah Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب, lit. 'Arab Tower'), commonly known as Burj Al Arab, is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.^[8] Developed and managed by Jumeirah, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world, although 39% of its total height is made up of non-occupiable space.^[9][10][11] Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island that is 280 m (920 ft) from Jumeirah Beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to resemble the sail of a dhow.^[12] It has a helipad near the roof, at a height of 210 m (689 ft) above ground.

The beachfront area where Jumeirah Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located was previously called Chicago Beach.^[13] The hotel is located on an island of reclaimed land, 280 m (920 ft) offshore of the beach of the former Chicago Beach Hotel. The former hotel was demolished during the construction of the Burj Al Arab.^[14] The locale's name had its origins in the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, which at one time welded giant floating oil storage tanks, known locally as Kazzans, on the site.^[13]

The Burj Al Arab was designed by the British multidisciplinary consultancy Atkins, led by architect Tom Wright of WKA. He came up with the iconic design and signature translucent fiberglass facade that serves as a shield from the desert sun during the day and as a screen for illumination at night.^[15] The design and construction were managed by Canadian engineer Rick Gregory, and construction managed by David Kirby also of WS Atkins. The Burj Al Arab's interior is by British-Chinese designer Khuan Chew. Construction of the island began in 1994 and involved up to 2,000 construction workers during peak construction. Two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium. The setting of a high rise building on saturated soil and the novelty of the project required groundbreaking dynamic analysis and design to take into consideration soil-structure interaction, effect of water, high winds, and helipad among other loads, to help finalize the design and take the project into construction.^{[16][failed verification]}

The hotel was built by South African construction contractor Murray & Roberts, now renamed Concor and Al Habtoor Engineering. The interior designs were led and created by Khuan Chew and John Carolan of KCA international and delivered by UAE based Depa Group.^[17]

The building opened on 1 December 1999.^[1] The New Year's Eve fireworks celebration originated in 2000 with the inauguration of the United Arab Emirates.

The hotel's helipad was designed by Irish architect Rebecca Gernon.^[18] The helipad is at the building's 28th floor, and the helipad been used as a car race track, a boxing ring, has hosted a tennis match, and the jumping off point for the highest kite surfing jump in history.^[19]

In 2017, the hotel hosted the wedding of Daniel Kinahan, head of the Kinahan Organized Crime Group.^[20] The wedding was attended by several prominent drug traffickers, such as Ridouan Taghi, Edin Gačanin, 'Ricardo (El Rico) Riquelme Vega, and Raffaele Imperiale.^[20]

Several features of the hotel required complex engineering feats to achieve. The hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 m (920 ft) offshore. To secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 40-metre-long (130 ft) concrete piles into the sand by drilling method.^[21]

Engineers created a ground surface layer of large rocks, which is circled with a concrete honeycomb pattern, which serves to protect the foundation from erosion. It took three years to reclaim the land from the sea, while it took less than three years to construct the building itself. The building contains over 70,000 m³ (92,000 yd³) of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel.^[21]

Inside the building, the atrium is 180 m (590 ft) tall.^[22]

Given the height of the building, the Burj Al Arab is the world's fifth tallest hotel after Gevora Hotel, JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur and Rose and Rayhaan by Rotana. But if buildings with mixed use were stripped off the list, the Burj Al Arab would be the world's third tallest hotel. The structure of the Rose Rayhaan, also in Dubai, is 333 metres (1,093 ft) tall,^[23] 12 m (39 ft) taller than the Burj Al Arab, which is 321 metres (1,053 ft) tall.^[23]The Burj Al Arab's helipad, located 210 meters above ground, has been the site of several high-profile events, including a tennis match between Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, and stunts by Red Bull athletes.^{[citation needed]}

The hotel is managed by the Jumeirah Group. The hotel has 199 exclusive suites each allocated eight dedicated staff members and a 24-hour butler service.^[24] The smallest suite occupies an area of 169 m² (1,820 sq ft), the largest covers 780 m² (8,400 sq ft).^[25]

The Royal Suite, billed at US$24,000 per night, is listed at number 12 on World's 15 most expensive hotel suites compiled by CNN Go in 2012.^[26]

The Burj Al Arab is very popular with the Chinese market, which made up 25 percent of all bookings at the hotel in 2011 and 2012.^[27]

There are six restaurants in the hotel, including:

Al Muntaha ("The Ultimate"), is located 200 m (660 ft) above the Persian Gulf, offering a view of Dubai. It is supported by a full cantilever that extends 27 m (89 ft) from either side of the mast, and is accessed by a panoramic elevator.^{[citation needed]}

Al Mahara ("Oyster"), which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage, features a large seawater aquarium, holding roughly 990,000 L (260,000 US gal) of water. The wall of the tank, made of acrylic glass in order to withstand the water pressure, is about 18 cm (7.1 in) thick.^{[citation needed]}

While the hotel has sometimes been described as "the world's only 'seven-star' hotel", the hotel management claims never to have done so themselves. The term appeared due to a British journalist who had visited the hotel on a tour before it was officially opened. The journalist described Burj al Arab as "more than anything she has ever seen" and therefore referred to it as a seven-star hotel.^[28] A Jumeirah Group spokesperson said "There's not a lot we can do to stop it. We're not encouraging the use of the term. We've never used it in our advertising."^[29]

Burj Al Arab has attracted criticism as "a contradiction of sorts, considering how well-designed and impressive the construction ultimately proves to be."^[25] The contradiction here seems to be related to the hotel's decor. "This extraordinary investment in state-of-the-art construction technology stretches the limits of the ambitious urban imagination in an exercise that is largely due to the power of excessive wealth." Another critic includes negative critiques for the city of Dubai as well: "both the hotel and the city, after all, are monuments to the triumph of money over practicality. Both elevate style over substance."^[25] Yet another: "Emulating the quality of palatial interiors, in an expression of wealth for the mainstream, a theater of opulence is created in Burj Al Arab ... The result is a baroque effect".^[25]

The last chapter of the espionage novel Performance Anomalies^[30][31] takes place at the top of the Burj Al Arab,^[32] where the spy protagonist Cono 7Q discovers that through deadly betrayal his spy nemesis Katerina has maneuvered herself into the top echelon of the government of Kazakhstan. The hotel can also be seen in Syriana and also some Bollywood movies.^[which?]

Richard Hammond included the building in his television series Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections.

The Jumeirah Burj Al Arab serves as the cover image for the 2009 album Ocean Eyes by Owl City.

The Burj Al Arab was the site of the last task of the fifth episode of the first season of the Chinese edition of The Amazing Race, where teams had to clean up a room to the hotel's standards.^[33][34]

The building is featured in Matthew Reilly's novel The Six Sacred Stones, where a kamikaze pilot crashes a plane into the hotel, destroying it in an attempt to kill the protagonist, Jack West Jr.

The building was the location of the main challenge of the ninth episode of the Canadian-American animated television series Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race,^[35] where contestants were tasked to either return a serve from a tennis robot on the hotel's helipad, or squeegee an entire column of the hotel's windows.

• W Barcelona (Hotel Vela) – skyscraper of similar appearance in Barcelona, Spain (sail)
• Oman TiT – residential skyscraper of similar appearance in Taipei, Taiwan (sail)
• Elite Plaza – a similar-shaped skyscraper in Yerevan, Armenia
• JW Marriott Panama (Panama City) – similar structure
• Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth – similar structure in Portsmouth, UK
• Vasco da Gama Tower – a skyscraper of similar appearance in Lisbon, Portugal (sail)
• Sail Tower – a skyscraper of similar appearance in Haifa, Israel (sail)
• List of tallest buildings in the United Arab Emirates
• List of buildings in Dubai
• List of tallest buildings in Dubai

• Rose, Steve (28 November 2005). "Architecture: Sand and freedom". The Guardian.

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Burj Al Arab (category)

• Official website