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UAE

UAE

Visitor characteristics

  • Most visitors from the UAE are between 25 and 54 (80% in 2019), 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 2019, 31% of visitors from the UAE were British nationals while 37% were Emiratis
  • 81% of departing UAE visitors (excluding British expats) say they are ‘extremely likely’ to recommend Britain for a visit, on par with the all market average of 82%

Popular activities

Dining in a restaurant

Sightseeing of Famous Buildings/ Monuments

Went Shopping

Global context

Measure2019
International tourism expenditure (US$bn)26.7
Global rank for international tourism expenditure13
Number of outbound visits (m)3.7
Most visited destinationSaudi Arabia
Most visited destination in Western EuropeUnited Kingdom

Key demographic and economic data

Measure2019
Population (m)9.8
GDP per capita PPP (US$)66,837
Annual average GDP growth over past decade (%)3.6
Annual average GDP growth in the past year (%)1.7

Resources

GCC Market Profile (PDF, 3.06MB)

visitbritain_marketprofile_gcc_2020.pdf

United Arab Emirates Market Snapshot (PDF, 986KB)

uae_fact_sheet_double_sided_sept-2020_with_alt_10112020.pdf

United Arab Emirates Aviation Profile (PDF, 242KB)

aviation_market_uae_23062020.pdf

More resources

Find out where visitors from the UAE to the UK reside in their own country (Excel, 176KB, Published in 2017)

states_of_residence_2014-2019_for_web.xlsx

Please note that the reports below have not been updated with the 2009-2018 revised IPS data. For more information, please visit about the international passenger survey

Examine the perceived barriers to visitors from the UAE exploring Britain outside of London (PDF, 2.46MB, Published October 2014)

2014-10 Exploring Great Britain research – Emerging Markets_0.pdf

Inbound visits to Britain from UAE

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Number of visits

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What Emiratis think about Britain

  • Key holiday ‘wants’ include ‘enjoying the beauty of the landscape’, ‘having fun and laughter’ and ‘good value for money’ with Italy seen as the ‘best place’ for delivering the former two and the US for the latter
  • Factors that are low on the holiday wish-list include ‘getting some sun’ and ‘watching a sporting event’
  • Britain rates well for ‘visiting a place with lots of history’ for example, but not as favourably as Italy

Caring for visitors

  • English is widely spoken and understood
  • Arab families like to have hotel suites or inter-connecting rooms, or to rent an apartment
  • Hospitality is a key element of the Arab culture and so being available to answer questions, and small gestures will be very much appreciated

 

The leisure & travel trade

  • Many travel agents are in effect ticketing agents with limited product knowledge
  • Key times of year for promotional visits to the region are February to late May and September to November
  • The working week traditionally starts on Sunday and ends on Thursday

Access to Britain from the UAE

Measure2019
Weekly aircraft departures202
Weekly seat capacity87,282
Airports with direct routes in the United Arab Emirates3
Airports with direct routes in Britain8
  • The Dubai to London Heathrow route had the highest share of departing seats in 2019
  • In 2019, the highest rate of flight departures took place in July, August and December
  • The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a 59% reduction in direct seat capacity from the United Arab Emirates to the UK in 2020
  • Departing visitors heading home to the UAE currently pay £78 in Air Passenger Duty if travelling in economy class
  • Visitors from the UAE require a visa to visit Britain, with a six-month visa currently costing £95

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