UAE
Visitor characteristics
- Most visitors from the UAE are between 25 and 54 and there are very few 65+ Emiratis visiting Britain
- 76% of all holiday visitors from the UAE (excluding British expats) are making a repeat visit to Britain (within 10 years)
- In 2017 49% of visitors from the UAE were British nationals while only 19% were Emiratis
- Just over 78% of departing UAE staying holiday visitors (excluding British expats) say they are ‘extremely likely’ to recommend Britain for a holiday or short-break, which is above the all market average of 71%
Popular activities
Dining in a restaurant
Visited Parks/ Gardens
Went Shopping
Global context
| Measure | 2017 |
|---|---|
| International tourism expenditure (US$bn) | 17.6 |
| Global rank for international tourism expenditure | 20 |
| Number of outbound visits (m) | 3.0 |
| Most visited destination | Saudi Arabia |
| Most visited destination in Western Europe | United Kingdom |
Key demographic and economic data
| Measure | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Population (m) | 9.6 |
| GDP per capita PPP (US$) | 66,622 |
| Annual average GDP growth over past decade (%) | 2.8 |
| Annual average GDP growth in the past year (%) | 1.3 |
Resources
GCC Market Profile (PDF, 1.58MB, Published February 2018)
United Arab Emirates Market Snapshot (PDF, 1.77MB)
United Arab Emirates Aviation Profile (PDF, 180 KB)
More resources
Find out where visitors from the UAE to the UK reside in their own country (Excel, 0.2MB, Published in 2018)
Examine the perceived barriers to visitors from the UAE exploring Britain outside of London (PDF, 2.46MB, Published October 2014)
