Middle Eastern countries with the largest international tourism receipts 2023

As of 2023, the United Arab Emirates led the Middle East region with international tourism receipts worth nearly 52 billion U.S. dollars. The entire Middle East region's international tourism receipts were valued at over 137.4 billion U.S. dollars. 

UAE tourism

  The average daily fee of hotels in the emirate of Dubai in 2020 was 124 U.S. dollars, while that in Abu Dhabi was 89 U.S. dollars. Dubai is the emirate with the highest number of international visitors in the country. It is well-known for its high-end shopping, vibrant nightlife, and modern architecture. It is home to numerous world-class man-made attractions, including the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Fountain, Atlantis City, and the Palm resort. The UAE was classified as the most competitive tourist destination in the MENA area in 2018 by the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI). After adjusting for the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector's gross domestic product share in the UAE was predicted to be about 11.9 percent by 2025 with more than 30 million tourists expected to visit the country.

UAE economy

The UAE's economy saw a severe drop in real GDP growth in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, although it was projected to recover gradually over the next few years. The country has taken a significant hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This is attributable not just to the impact of low oil prices, but also to significant losses in non-oil economic areas such as tourism. The wholesale and retail business will be the greatest contributor to Dubai's GDP in 2021. The central bank predicted that the economy will fully recover in 2022. Greenfield projects accounted for the biggest share of announced foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the emirate of Dubai in 2020.