UAE Tourism in 2026: Dubai's Slump, Abu Dhabi's Dip and Ras Al Khaimah's Odd Record

Last updated: 20 October 2026

The 2026 regional war hit UAE tourism hard, and the official figures now show how hard. Dubai had 6.97 million international overnight visitors from January to August, against 12.54 million in the same months of 2025, and hotel occupancy fell to 36 per cent in March before recovering to 66 per cent in August. Abu Dhabi's hotel guest numbers are down 14.2 per cent. Ras Al Khaimah, where Wynn Al Marjan Island is due to open in September 2027, reported a record first half of more than 670,000 visitors. That record came from UAE residents travelling within the country, while its hotels ran far emptier than a year earlier.

Key takeaways

• Dubai: 6.97 million international overnight visitors in January–August 2026, according to the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). August, at about 869,000, was the strongest month since February. DET's report for the same months of 2025 counted 12.54 million.
• Dubai occupancy: 36 per cent in March and 66 per cent in August, according to DET. August reached 89 per cent of its 2025 level.
• Abu Dhabi: hotel guests down 14.2 per cent year to date, to 3.2 million, and average rates down 4.3 per cent in the first half to Dh668.27. These are DCT Abu Dhabi figures reported by Skift.
• Ras Al Khaimah: more than 670,000 visitors in the first half, a record according to RAKTDA, with domestic arrivals up 47 per cent. Two hotel-data providers nevertheless put its first-half occupancy at about 49 per cent, down more than 20 points.
• Cruises: every major line that sailed the Arabian Gulf has cancelled its 2026-27 season, and the lines that had planned 2027-28 sailings have dropped those too.
• Wynn: Wynn says about half of its roughly US$600 million budget increase is "directly attributable to disruption from the regional conflict". It still targets September 2027.

How badly did the war hit Dubai tourism?

DET published its January–August figures on 9 September and presented them on 13 September, the opening day of Arabian Travel Market. It counted 6.97 million international overnight visitors in the first eight months. Its report for the same months of 2025, published on 11 September 2025, counted 12.54 million, so the total fell by roughly 44 per cent.

The monthly path matters more than the total. Occupancy collapsed to 36 per cent in March, the first full month of the conflict, then rose every month after. In August it reached 66 per cent, which DET says is 89 per cent of August 2025's level. About 869,000 visitors arrived that month, the most since February. DET also said Emirates had restored 97 per cent of its global network, and that the Dubai government had put a Dh2.5 billion support package behind tourism, hospitality and entertainment.

Industry data gives a similar picture for the first half. CoStar figures reported by Skift on 11 August put Dubai's January–June occupancy at 56.4 per cent against 81 per cent a year earlier. Skift also reported revenue per available room down 35.2 per cent and a March low of 33.1 per cent. That March figure differs from DET's 36 per cent. The two sources don't explain the gap, so we quote each as published.

How did Abu Dhabi hold up?

Better on occupancy, worse than it hoped on guests. JLL put Abu Dhabi's first-half occupancy at 66.8 per cent, the highest in the UAE, and CoStar figures via Skift show it down 13.5 points from 80.3 per cent. DCT Abu Dhabi data, shared exclusively with Skift, shows hotel guests down 14.2 per cent year to date to 3.2 million. The average daily rate fell 4.3 per cent in the first half to Dh668.27, and August guests fell 5.2 per cent year on year to 512,000.

Domestic and GCC visitors now make up 59 per cent of Abu Dhabi's arrivals, while India, China and Russia are each down by more than a third. DCT's director of international relations, Abdulla Yousuf, told Skift: "We are slightly below last year, but for reasons beyond our control."

Did Ras Al Khaimah really have a record year?

On visitor numbers, yes. RAKTDA reported more than 670,000 visitors in the first half of 2026, its strongest first half on record, compared with more than 654,000 in the first half of 2025, as WAM reported at the time. Both are "more than" figures, so the growth is roughly 2 per cent. Domestic arrivals rose 47 per cent, and May was the emirate's busiest month on record. The RAK Moments campaign aimed at UAE residents generated 224,000 room nights, Dh104.4 million in room revenue and 127,817 extra visitors in the second quarter.

The hotel data looks very different:

Measure, H1 2026 — Ras Al Khaimah — Source

• Visitors — 670,000+ (record) — RAKTDA
• Hotel occupancy — 49.3%, down 23.3 points — CoStar via Skift
• Hotel occupancy — 49.6% — JLL via The National
• Average daily rate — Up 5.2% (Dh705.60, JLL) — JLL, CoStar
• Occupancy vs H1 2025 — Down 19 points — RAK Statistics Center, via Focus Gaming News

The two sets of figures fit together once you look at who travelled. UAE residents came in record numbers, but on short trips. Focus Gaming News, citing Ras Al Khaimah Statistics Center data, reported that airport arrivals fell more than 80 per cent within two months of the conflict starting, European visitors fell by almost 90 per cent between February and April, and the average hotel stay shortened by nearly a third. More visitors spending fewer nights each produced a record visitor count and a sharp drop in occupancy at the same time.

RAKTDA chief executive Phillipa Harrison called the record first half "testament to Ras Al Khaimah's strength as a short-break destination". Both parts of that are accurate.

What happened to cruise tourism?

It has gone for two winters. Cruise Industry News reported on 22 September that all the brands it tracks have pulled out of the Arabian Gulf: MSC, Costa, TUI, AIDA, Explora Journeys, Celestyal and Aroya. All have cancelled their 2026-27 Gulf seasons, and the lines that had 2027-28 plans have dropped those too. Celestyal had signed a multi-year partnership with RAKTDA in 2025 to grow cruise calls at Ras Al Khaimah. It has now dropped its Gulf sailings and moved its ships to longer Mediterranean seasons. Our guide to the 2026 Iran conflict's impact on UAE gaming covers the first months of the war.

What does this mean for Wynn Al Marjan Island?

The data supports three narrow conclusions. It does not support any forecast.

First, the conflict has already cost Wynn money. On its 4 August earnings call, Wynn raised the project budget by approximately US$600 million and said about half was "directly attributable to disruption from the regional conflict". The opening moved to September 2027. Our breakdown of the US$600 million budget increase covers the rest.

Second, the demand that held up is the kind Wynn says it will lean on. On the same call, chief executive Craig Billings said he expects "a pretty robust ... locals pipeline or regional pipeline", adding: "that's what you're seeing driving Ras Al Khaimah's visitation today." RAK's first-half figures are consistent with that, since domestic travel rose while long-haul travel collapsed. Note that "locals" here means UAE and regional visitors. Who may enter the gaming floor is for the GCGRA to decide, and no entry rules have been published.

Third, long-haul markets are expected to take longer to come back. At Arabian Travel Market, Harrison told Skift she expects neighbouring markets back by the first quarter of 2027 but Germany perhaps not until the fourth quarter of 2027. Other operators quoted by Skift put a full return of European and US travel at the second quarter of 2027, or a return to 2024–25 business levels not before late 2027. These are executives' expectations, not data. If they are right, international demand will still be rebuilding when Wynn opens.

The numbers do not show whether Wynn will hit any revenue target, or whether the war will delay it further. Wynn's third-quarter results, due after the US market close on 5 November, are the next official update on the project.

What should travellers know now?

Hotels are operating, and RAK's rates held while occupancy fell, so lower occupancy has not meant cheap rooms there. RAKTDA's pipeline includes the 258-room Rotana Ras Al Khaimah – The Mangroves, due in the third quarter of 2026, and the SAIJ Mountain Lodge by Mantis on Jebel Jais, due in the fourth quarter. We found no confirmation that either has opened yet. Check current government travel advice before booking. Our guide to getting to Wynn Al Marjan from Dubai covers the routes for when the resort opens.

FAQ

How many tourists visited Dubai in 2026? 6.97 million international overnight visitors from January to August 2026, according to DET. DET counted 12.54 million in the same period of 2025.

What was Dubai's hotel occupancy during the war? DET reports 36 per cent in March 2026, rising to 66 per cent in August. Industry data reported by Skift puts March at 33.1 per cent.

Did Ras Al Khaimah tourism grow in 2026? Visitor numbers did: RAKTDA reported a record 670,000-plus in the first half, driven by a 47 per cent rise in domestic arrivals. Hotel occupancy fell to about 49 per cent, because visitors stayed shorter and international arrivals dropped.

Are cruise ships still calling at Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah? The major cruise lines that sailed the Gulf have cancelled their 2026-27 seasons there, and those with 2027-28 plans have cancelled them too, according to Cruise Industry News.

Is Wynn Al Marjan Island still opening in 2027? Yes. Wynn's current guidance is September 2027. Its third-quarter results, due on 5 November 2026 (US time), are the next scheduled update.

Further reading

• How the 2026 Iran conflict hit UAE gaming
• Wynn Al Marjan's US$600 million budget increase
• Wynn Al Marjan opening date explained
• How to get to Wynn Al Marjan from Dubai

Sources

• Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, "Tourism Performance Report January - August 2026" (9 Sep 2026): https://www.dubaidet.gov.ae/en/research-and-insights/tourism-performance-report-august-2026
• Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, "Tourism Performance Report January - August 2025" (11 Sep 2025): https://www.dubaidet.gov.ae/en/research-and-insights/tourism-performance-report-august-2025
• Dubai Department of Finance media office (DET data), "Dubai's tourism sector records highest visitor numbers since February" (13 Sep 2026): https://dmo.dof.gov.ae/en/news-and-publications/latest-press-releases/dubai-s-tourism-sector-records-highest-visitor-numbers-since-february/
• Skift, "UAE Hotels Give Up on Q4, Hope for 2027 Recovery" (15 Sep 2026): https://skift.com/2026/09/15/uae-hotels-give-up-on-q4-hope-for-2027-recovery/
• Skift, "Abu Dhabi Pins Hopes on F1 and Events Calendar to Reverse a 14.2% Drop in Hotel Guests" (16 Sep 2026): https://skift.com/2026/09/16/abu-dhabi-pins-hopes-on-f1-and-events-calendar-to-reverse-a-14-2-drop-in-hotel-guests/
• Skift, "UAE's Hotel Divide: Abu Dhabi Holds Up While Dubai Sinks" (11 Aug 2026): https://skift.com/2026/08/11/uaes-hotel-divide-abu-dhabi-holds-up-while-dubai-sinks/
• The National, "Abu Dhabi tops UAE occupancy rates in first half amid war fallout" (11 Aug 2026): https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/economy/2026/08/11/abu-dhabi-top-uae-occupancy-rates-in-first-half-amid-war-fallout/
• Khaleej Times, "Ras Al Khaimah tourism hits record 670,000 visitors in 2026 despite regional conflict" (23 Jul 2026): https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/ras-al-khaimah-tourism-record-670000-visitors-h1-2026
• Zawya/TradeArabia, "Ras Al Khaimah welcomes record 670,000 visitors in H1 2026" (Jul 2026): https://www.zawya.com/en/business/ras-al-khaimah-welcomes-record-670000-visitors-in-h1-2026-406985
• Focus Gaming News, "Ras Al Khaimah visitor numbers hit record high as domestic demand supports tourism" (23 Aug 2026): https://focusgn.com/uae/ras-al-khaimah-visitor-numbers-hit-record-high-as-domestic-demand-supports-tourism
• WAM, "Ras Al Khaimah Tourism sector hits record 654,000 visitors in H1 2025" (31 Jul 2025): https://www.wam.ae/en/article/bkyl4ps-ras-khaimah-tourism-sector-hits-record-654000
• WAM, "Ras Al Khaimah delivers record tourism performance in 2025 with 1.35 million overnight visitors" (19 Jan 2026): https://www.wam.ae/en/article/byb1xi1-ras-khaimah-delivers-record-tourism-performance
• Cruise Industry News, "Deployment Update: All Brands Now Out of Arabian Gulf" (22 Sep 2026): https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2026/09/deployment-update-all-brands-now-out-of-arabian-gulf/
• Investing.com, "Earnings call transcript: Wynn Resorts tops Q2 2026 estimates" (4 Aug 2026): https://www.investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-wynn-resorts-tops-q2-2026-estimates-shares-rise-93CH-4835984
• Wynn Resorts, "Wynn Resorts announces third quarter earnings release date" (6 Oct 2026): https://investors.wynnresorts.com/news-releases/news-release-details/wynn-resorts-announces-third-quarter-earnings-release-date-14