International tourism to the Middle East is in its rapidly growing era, and it’s largely due to the planning, implementation, and marketing efforts of the major GCC cities.
Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Makkah (Mecca) and Riyadh, are pulling their weight when it comes to tourism and leading the industry for the rest of the Middle Eastern region. When it comes to air connectivity, on ground experiences and entertainment, hospitality, and events (especially sporting), these cities are not only leading the way but setting new benchmarks globally.
In the first six months of this year alone, all six cities saw tourism arrivals reach new records, with 13.9 million visitors to Abu Dhabi (33.5% increase), 2.6 million to Doha (28% increase), 9.31 million to Dubai (9% increase), 60 million to Jeddah, Makkah and Riyadh.
The top tier GCC cities are also inspiring the next generation of Middle Eastern tourism destinations including AIUla, Manama, Muscat, Salalah and Sharjah.
Here are some of the ways the six GCC cities are leading tourism across the Middle East:
Luxury hotels: 5-stars and beyond
If the GCC were to have a united marketing slogan it would probably be ‘a region of luxury’. There’s no shortage of 5-star and beyond hotels across the region and travellers have come to expect the best-of-the-best hospitality experiences.
From the Banyan Tree at La Cigale Mushaireb in Doha to the Shangri-La in Jeddah, Four Seasons at Kingdom Centre in Riyadh, Al Wathba Resort and Spa in Abu Dhabi, and the Anantara The Palm in Dubai – the region is abound with luxury hotels and just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, a Marbella opens!
The Gulf cities are consistent in their accommodation offerings, opening several new spaces annually to meet growing demand and appeal to travellers from all walks to life. Many of which appeal to the high-end traveller.
This year, Dubai alone opened an average of two new hotels every month! Of the new rooms on offer, 1,681 were in the 5-star range. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi which recently welcomed luxury resort Anantara Santorini, very recently revealed it’s planning to add more than 2,300 hotel rooms to its portfolio by the end of 2025.
Around the other Gulf cities, Doha, where 90% of hotel rooms as classes as four-or-five-star, opened the 5-star Millennium Place Doha earlier this year. In Riyadh, the Narcissus The Royal Hotel opened its doors with 173 high-end rooms, while in Makkah, eight news hotels ranging from 2-4 stars came online.
Fortunately, the consistency of new hotel openings, especially in the 5-star space, is met strong occupancy rates. In Dubai, occupancy demand reached 78% in the first half of this year, higher than pre-Covid levels of 2019. In Riyadh, five-star hotel occupancy reached 97% recently, while overall hotel and apartment occupancy in the city surpassed 90%.
In Qatar, hotel occupancy has improved over the last three quarters, particularly during the month of September when it reached 63.4%, up from 57.7% on the same month last year.
Airline investment: New destinations and a new carrier
If you build it, they will come. That certainly seems to be the approach for Gulf-based carriers, and it appears to be working.
Dubai-based Emirates recently revealed its strategic vision, which includes refurbishment of 200 aircraft, the inclusion of Premium Economy cabins, and growing its network within Latin America and Africa. The airline has also ordered 25 Boeing 777X twin-engine planes which will rival Airbus A380 in passenger capacity, and it appointed six UAE nationals to oversee growth in key markets including the Middle East and Africa.
The UAE city, along with the rest of the Gulf, is also benefitting from a boost in private jet travel, including the recent launch of Voyex, the first female-founded private jet business, which opened an office in Dubai and has one planned for Saudi Arabia. Around 8,472 private jets took off and touched down at Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (Mbrah) during the first six months of 2024, a 7% increase on the same period last year. Dubai is on track to reach around 18,000 private jet movements by the end of this year, a significant jump on the 16,657 total movements recorded last year.
In the UAE’s other major city, Abu Dhabi, Etihad recently revealed plans to add 10 new destinations to its network from next year, including Atlanta in the USA, Hanoi in Vietnam, and Hong Kong.
The announcement comes shortly after the airline celebrated a year of successful operations and growth at Terminal A at Zayed International Airport. Since the full transition to the new terminal in November 2023, the airline expanded its operations from 1,336 weekly flights to 1,732.
The airline’s premium offering has also reached new heights with its flagship three-storey First and Business class featuring the Be Relax Spa, which is open to all passengers, with complimentary treatments for First Class and Residence guests.
In Saudi Arabia, Riyadh is getting ready to launch its own airline aptly named ‘Riyadh Air’. Scheduled to take off next year, the carrier has already selected its cabin crew uniform, ordered 132 planes, and locked in partners to manage ground services and electric coaches.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia’s Saudia and Flynas are playing an important role in boosted the country’s network to the rest of the world. Saudi is aiming to fly to 250 destinations by 2030, including new cities in Asia, Europe and more.
Technology: Tapping into AI and flying taxis
The six Gulf cities are paving the way for technological advancements across the Middle East, especially its use in tourism and travel.
Saudi Arabia recently unveiled its first AI-powered smart guide ‘SARA’ which was created to aid travellers and Travel Agents in booking holidays to the country.
Unveiled at World Travel Market 2024 last month, ‘SARA’ has an extensive information bank on Saudi Arabia, including destination knowledge and tourism experiences. Designed as a young Saudi woman with a passion for travel, SARA shared insights on Saudi Arabia, its historical landscapes, cultural diversity and more.
On the topic of AI, Gulf airports have increasingly utilised the intelligence to speed up passenger check in and processing times. Abu Dhabi International Airport, for example, launched the world-first biometric smart travel project which allows travellers to pass through various checkpoints seamlessly using AI-powered biometric facial recognition technology. This system is expected to be fully operational next year and aims to streamline travel, reduce wait times, and enhance security measures.
If that didn’t feel like a leap into the future, Dubai is working towards launching a network of electric taxis around the city by 2027! In the next two years, travellers will have the option of booking a tradition taxi or securing an electric vehicle that can accommodate six people and fly at speeds of 180km (bye, bye traffic).
Connectivity: Rail and cruise
As significant as air travel may be, equally as important is connectivity to other destinations via rail and cruise. And it’s just another area of travel that the Gulf is leading the way.
The Gulf Corporation Council Railways Authority is responsible for the signing the groundbreaking highspeed rail agreement between the Gulf countries. The rail system will be the first of its kind in the Middle East and will run a total length of 2,177km to connect all six GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait).
Although anticipated for completion by 2030, designers have only just commenced plans on the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia link as well as the Bahrain-Saudi Arabia connection. In the UAE, Etihad Rail recently secured funding for the Emirati portion of the highspeed railway line which will connect Abu Dhabi to Dubai, Al Ruwais and Fujairah.
From land to the sea, the Gulf is also paving the way for the Middle East’s cruise industry. The Cruise Arabia alliance has worked hard to generate interest from international cruise lines and in recent month, Resorts World Cruises’ Resorts World One commenced its first season from the region with visits to Dubai, Doha and Muscat in Oman.
Celestyal Cruises has also launched an Arabian Gulf season with stops in Doha for the Qatar Grand Prix as well as Abu Dhabi.
Of course, the most exciting cruise announcement for the Gulf is the region’s first cruise line with the upcoming launch of Saudi Arabia’s AROYA Cruises. Turky Kari, Executive Director of Marketing at Cruise Saudi, told Rihlat Travel News that when AROYA launches next month, it will revolutionise the cruise experience. He said cruises will be ‘remarkably Arabian’ that will reflect cruise preferences of the regional market.
