The UAE is the fastest-growing in the wellness economy in the Mena region and is now valued at $40.8 billion, according to a Global Wellness Institute (GWI) report, a research organisation for the wellness industry.

The report shows that the UAE ranks #1 in the region in several wellness sectors, including wellness real estate ($1.4 billion in 2024), personal care & beauty ($14.8 billion in 2024) and spa revenue ($2.9 billion in 2024), and is growing fastest among all Mena countries in the sectors of public health, prevention & personalised medicine; physical activity; and workplace wellness.

 “The UAE’s National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 aims to position the country as a global leader in quality of life, so it’s not surprising that its wellness economy is the fastest growing in the Middle East and North Africa,” said Susie Ellis, GWI chair and CEO. “Blending innovation with heritage, the UAE is redefining itself as a wellness destination for visitors and residents alike. We’re especially grateful to Aldar—who are creating some of the most innovative wellness real estate projects in the world—for partnering with us to bring these country-specific insights to light.”

In recent years, the UAE’s wellness real estate sector has surged, growing an impressive 22.8% from 2019 to 2024.

And with new properties like SHA Emirates and Aldar’s Fahid Island—Abu Dhabi’s first coastal wellness destination—on the horizon, the wellness real estate market is poised to grow even further.

The UAE’s wellness tourism sector has also grown at an impressive 23.5% CAGR and is now worth $11.3 billion.

This has been fueled in part by the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which emphasises medical and wellness tourism as a growth area and aims to diversify tourism offerings, expand wellness travel and position wellbeing as both a lifestyle priority and a driver of economic growth and global competitiveness.

Jonathan Emery, Chief Executive Officer at Aldar Development, said: “The UAE is leading a global transformation in how communities are designed to actively shape better, healthier lives. When wellness is intentionally embedded from the earliest planning stages, through walkable layouts, community-focused designs, and amenities that promote social connection, it creates environments where healthy choices become intuitive. Our collaboration with the Global Wellness Institute is an important part of this ambition as it enables us to inform our design process with data and insights that will help to make wellbeing an everyday standard.”  -TradeArabia News Service