Abu Dhabi’s tourism authority plans to invest over $10B in infrastructure as part of its new comprehensive tourism strategy, according to the chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism.
The emirate also aims to increase the number of hotel rooms to 52,000, up from the current 34,000, to support the Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030, Mohamed Al Mubarak told The National.
Recently, the UAE capital launched the Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030, announced by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, with the goal of increasing the sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product.
This strategy includes 26 initiatives across four areas: offering and city activation, promotion nd marketing, infrastructure and mobility, and visa, licensing, and regulation.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s main partners include the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, the Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi Airports Company, and other government and private entities.
The plan aims to add AED 90B ($24.5B) annually to the country’s GDP by 2030, and attract 39.3 million annual visitors to Abu Dhabi, a 7% year-on-year growth from an estimated 24 million last year, according to The National News.
The strategy also aims to create 178,000 new jobs in the emirate, bringing the total number of jobs in the tourism and hospitality sectors to about 366,000 by the start of the next decade.
“Between events and marketing spend, we’re going to be hovering over $1B. That’s outside, of course, of the infrastructure,” Mr Al Mubarak said on Tuesday.
“[When it comes to] infrastructure, in terms of museums, theme parks and hospitality, [with] the private sector playing a significant role, we are hovering at over $10B of investment from now to 2030,” he said.
Among the attractions coming to Abu Dhabi are the Guggenheim Museum, the expansion of Warner Bros World, Harry Potter World within it, the Saadiyat Cultural District, Hudayriyat Island, Yas Waterworld, and new hotel chains including Nammos and Mondrian.
The emirate is also aiming to add more four and five-star beach destination hotels, as well as promote more holiday homes, particularly expanding Airbnb offerings, the chairman said.
Abu Dhabi’s economy grew 3.1% annually to AED 1.14T in 2023, hitting its highest level in a decade.
DCT Abu Dhabi is planning to launch a “super app” that will link all tourism services platforms, Mr Al Mubarak said, which has been in development for more than a year and is expected to be rolled out in a year’s time.
