UAE

UAE

From 22 May we will be working to update all of the data and documents on this page following the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revision of the International Passenger Survey (IPS) data for 2009-2018 and the released detailed 2019 data. UK data will be updated first and followed by the regional data from 27 May. Please be patient as we update these pages or contact the VisitBritain research team if you have any questions- VB/VEResearch@visitbritain.org. Thank you.

Visitor characteristics

Most visitors from the UAE are between 25 and 54 (76% in 2018), 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 2018, 43% of visitors from the UAE were British nationals while only 28% were Emiratis
87% 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 just above the all market average of 85%

Popular activities

Dining in a restaurant

Visited Parks/ Gardens

Went Shopping

Global context

Measure	2019
International tourism expenditure (US$bn)	21.4
Global rank for international tourism expenditure	18
Number of outbound visits (m)	3.5
Most visited destination	Saudi Arabia
Most visited destination in Western Europe	United Kingdom

Key demographic and economic data

Measure	2019
Population (m)	9.8
GDP per capita PPP (US$)	39,363
Annual average GDP growth over past decade (%)	3.4
Annual average GDP growth in the past year (%)	1.9

GCC Market Profile (PDF, 3.06MB)

visitbritain_marketprofile_gcc_2020.pdf

United Arab Emirates Market Snapshot (PDF, 768KB)

uae_market_snapshot_aug_2018.pdf

United Arab Emirates Aviation Profile (PDF, 242KB)

aviation_market_uae_23062020.pdf

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

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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Total expenditure (GBP)

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Average length of stay (Nights)

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Average spend per visit (GBP)

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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

Measure	2019
Weekly aircraft departures	202
Weekly seat capacity	87,282
Airports with direct routes in the United Arab Emirates	3
Airports with direct routes in Britain	8

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
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

Markets

Markets

UAE