A record year for Abu Dhabi tourism sees more visitors, longer stays and packed events across the city’s culture scene
Abu Dhabi welcomed a record 26.6 million visitors in 2025, its strongest tourism performance to date, according to the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. You can see it across the city, from sold-out events to busier hotel lobbies and packed cultural sites.
Hotels are feeling it too. Revenue climbed to Dhs9.1 billion, up 19.5 per cent year on year, while occupancy rose to 81 per cent. More people are coming, and they are staying longer too.
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The numbers behind a big year for the capital
- 252 culture and leisure events brought in more than 4.2 million people, up 20 per cent
- MOTN Festival drew 252,988 visitors across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra
- Coldplay’s four sold-out shows welcomed 193,470 fans
- Abu Dhabi T10 cricket attracted around 100,000 spectators
- Liwa Village saw more than 159,000 visitors
- Heritage festivals brought in a combined 608,000 visitors
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Culture continues to do the heavy lifting. More than 8.6 million visitors passed through cultural sites and libraries, with places like Louvre Abu Dhabi and Qasr Al Hosn drawing steady crowds. There is also more to see than there was a year ago, with new openings and programmes quietly expanding what’s on offer. There is also a clear shift in where visitors are coming from. International arrivals grew by 10 per cent, with India leading the charge, followed by Russia, the UK and China. It is a wider mix of travellers, and they are spending more time here.
It all adds up to one thing. More people are coming, staying longer, and finding more to do once they’re here.
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