United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Intro
Travellers from the UAE made 5.2 million outbound visits in 2024, with a total international tourism expenditure of US$23 billion.
In 2023, the UK welcomed 477,000 visits from United Arab Emirates. During the travellers’ visits, their total expenditure was a record £914.1 million, with an average spend of £1,918 per visit.
Visitor characteristics
- Most visitors from the UAE are aged between 25 and 54 (77% in 2023).
- 76% of all holiday visitors from the UAE (excluding British expats) are making a repeat visit to Britain (within 10 years).
- In 2023, 37% of visitors from the UAE were British nationals, while 31% 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 for this market
Dining in a restaurant.
Sightseeing of famous buildings and monuments.
Going shopping.
For further information on activities and experiences for this market, please click here.
Explore the data
Explore the inbound data in full
Use our visualisations to see data from this market in greater depth and clarity. Compare annual statistics, and filter by age group, gender, trip duration and more. Includes seasonality, trip purpose and regional spread of visitors to UK destinations. This data is based on the International Passenger Survey, conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Please click on the button below and select the country you are interested in.
Perceptions of Britain in the UAE market
- The top three perceptions of Britain amongst travellers from the UAE in 2022:
- It is a mixture of old and new
- It is a place where I can explore history and heritage
- It is good for seeing famous sites, places, ticking off the ‘must do’ list
- Key holiday ‘wants’ include ‘enjoying the beauty of the landscape’, ‘having fun and laughter’ and ‘good value for money’. Italy is seen as the ‘best place’ for the former two, and the USA for the latter. Factors that are low on the market’s holiday priorities include ‘getting some sun’ and ‘watching a sporting event’. Britain rates well for ‘visiting a place with lots of history’, but not as favourably as Italy.
Global context
Top-level statistics relating to tourism expenditure and popular destinations for this market. For greater detail on inbound tourism flows from this market to the UK, see our data visualisations.
| Measure | 2024 |
| International tourism expenditure (US$bn) | 23 |
| Global rank for international tourism expenditure | 18 |
| Number of outbound visits (m) | 5.2 |
| Most visited destination | Saudi Arabia |
| Most visited destination in Western Europe | UK |
Caring for visitors
- English is widely spoken and understood but providing information in Arabic can be very welcoming.
- Provide a warm welcome and respect privacy - consider private dining areas and family accommodation (hotel suites or interconnecting rooms).
- Hospitality is a key element of Arab culture - small gestures and being available to answer questions will be very much appreciated.
- Provide a designated area for prayer time – placing a prayer mat and a compass with Qiblah direction (direction towards Mecca, Saudi Arabia) in rooms is a thoughtful gesture.
- During Ramadan, be mindful that Muslim travelers may be fasting. This is a time to show understanding, be accommodating and flexible. Adjust services where needed, such as offering alternative meal timings, quiet spaces for prayer, and thoughtful hospitality that respects their needs during this holy month.
- Where possible provide separate facilities/times for men and women - in pool or gym if possible.
- Halal food is an important consideration for Muslim food. Avoid serving meals with pork or alcohol as an ingredient.
The leisure and travel trade
- GCC market values relationships over strict schedules - often leading to a more flexible approach in social and business settings - meetings may not always start or end precisely on time.
- Travellers and trade partners prefer a single trusted person to handle all their needs, and they often recommend good services to friends and family.
- Take the time to visit trade in market and attend trade events or roadshows - face-to-face interactions strengthen relationships and provide opportunities to showcase your offerings.
- Show generosity and hospitality by sending greetings on Islamic Holidays - this gesture shows cultural awareness and respect.
- Major promotional periods are in lead-up to national and religious holidays. Special efforts are made to promote short-break packages during holidays such as the Eid, National Day, the New Year and other long weekends. Longer stays are during the summer and school holidays.
- WhatsApp is the go-to for quick, informal conversations, often using short voice notes.
- GCC work week is from Sunday -Thursday except for the UAE where a Western-style Monday-Friday work week was introduced in 2022.
- Invest time to nurture these relationships, building trust and mutual understanding.
Access to Britain from the UAE
The key routes and transport modes that connect this market with the UK.
| Measure | 2024 |
| Weekly aircraft departures | 199 |
| Weekly seat capacity | 87,555 |
| Airports with direct routes in the UAE | 3 |
| Airports with direct routes in Britain | 8 |
- 67% of all seats on scheduled seat capacity on direct flights from the UAE into the UK were into London.
- Following the COVID-19 pandemic, scheduled seat capacity on non-stop flights from the UAE to the UK reached 101% of 2019 levels in 2024.
- To see entry requirements for visitors to the UK from this market click here.
- To see rates for Airport Passenger Duty for this market click here.
Further resources
Where visitors from the UAE to the UK reside in their own country.xlsx
How we source this information
We work with a number of data sources to provide a rich and insightful picture of our key inbound source markets. This includes, but is not limited to, data provided by Oxford Economics, the UNWTO, Apex, Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index and from our own surveys and ad-hoc research. The largest share of the data comes from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) by the ONS.
Visit our About the International Passenger Survey page for more information on how the data is collected and analysed.
