The UAE’s tourism sector continued its strong upward trajectory in 2025, consolidating its position as one of the country’s most dynamic economic sectors, contributing AED257 billion ($70 billion) to GDP and setting new visitor records for the year, said a report.
The global GDP is projected to surge 2.8% in 2026, led by stronger momentum in the US and resilient exports from China, while the euro zone benefits from targeted fiscal support despite longer-term challenges, said Goldman Sachs Research in its new report.
The 54th UAE Eid Al Etihad arrives this year crowned with exceptional economic and tourism achievements that reflect the vision of the UAE’s leadership and the strength of the Union, said Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism.
Abu Dhabi has launched the FinTech, Insurance, Digital and Alternative Assets (FIDA) cluster to expand the emirate’s role as a global capital hub. By 2045, FIDA is projected to contribute an additional $15.2 billion to the emirate's direct GDP.
Dubai’s economy continued to maintain its strong upward momentum in the first half of 2025, with the emirate’s GDP growing 4.4 percent to reach AED241 billion ($65.62 billion) in the first half of the year. In the second quarter alone, Dubai’s GDP climbed 4.7 percent to AED122 billion ($33.22 billion).
The real gross domestic product (GDP) of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reached $466.2 billion by the end of the first quarter of 2025, up from $451.9 billion in the same period of 2023, marking a growth rate of 3.1 percent.
Relentless optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) continues to propel global markets, even as political and fiscal uncertainty dominates headlines in the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom, according to a recent research note from Barclays.
The total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the GCC states at current prices rose 3 percent to $588.1 billion in the first quarter of 2025 from $570.9 billion a year earlier, data from the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC-Stat) showed on Monday.
The contribution of Saudi Arabia's private sector to the gross domestic product (GDP) has doubled in ten years, rising from SAR1.1 trillion ($293.31 billion) in 2016 to about SAR2.3 trillion ($613.28 billion) today, said Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih.
The UAE tourism sector delivered a robust performance last year, with its contribution to the national GDP rising to 15 per cent, compared to six per cent in 2021, said Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism.
