Our collective achievements in 2024 represent a pivotal moment in our transformative journey. By sharing and celebrating these major milestones, we continue to inspire citizens, residents and visitors, building a legacy of innovation, knowledge exchange and cultural expression that will last for generations to come, spanning Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Region and Al Dhafra Region.

This commitment to a brighter future for our youth and community is a unifying purpose that drives every one of us at DCT Abu Dhabi. It is a purpose rooted in our conviction that we are harnessing the power of culture as a global good. We celebrate and share our unique Emirati identity globally, and that preservation and promotion of culture, alongside knowledge development, has the power to foster inclusion, inspire communities and empower youth. Cultural education and inclusion enable our communities to become active stewards of their heritage, ensuring that our legacy lives on through local action and global solidarity.

This takes various forms, including events such as the Al Hosn, Maritime Heritage and Traditional Handicrafts festivals. Our artisans and makers are empowered and supported through initiatives like Abu Dhabi Crafts and the Abu Dhabi Register of Artisans, while the Mawhibaty programme continues to lift up and inspire youth to discover and develop their creative passions. Throughout the year, a roster of cultural programmes have enhanced quality of life for all our visitors, and everyone who calls Abu Dhabi “home”.

Our focus on youth is why we invest in initiatives such as the Tourism Youth Summer Camp, Khebraty and other vocational training programmes, which encourage Emirati students to pursue careers in tourism and hospitality and play their part in strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a global destination. With sports a key driver of community cohesion and wellbeing, the rapidly growing Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League empowers young talent and further solidifies the emirate’s position as a global hub for both sporting participation and entertainment.

LANDMARK MOMENTS

In addition to major cultural programmes, key milestones included the launch of the Tourism Strategy 2030. Announced in April by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and spearheaded by DCT Abu Dhabi, the strategy signals a new era of expansion and strategic development in the travel and tourism sector. Our new targets include an increase in visitor numbers from nearly 24 million in 2023 to 39.3 million by 2030 and the creation of 178,000 new jobs.

The ambitious targets are on track for delivery thanks to a range of contributing factors and initiatives, including our unique attractions and cultural experiences, a year-round sports and entertainment calendar, events and conferences that promote cultural and intellectual exchange—including Culture Summit Abu Dhabi and the UNESCO World Conference on Culture and Arts Education.

Meanwhile, Saadiyat Cultural District continues to emerge as the world’s greatest collection of cultural institutions, and a beacon of enlightenment. In October, His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, toured Saadiyat Cultural District and was briefed on the progress of the final stages of construction, on track for completion by the end of 2025, with the opening of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi following thereafter.

The launch of a fully realised Saadiyat Cultural District is a landmark moment that will define our trajectory and global impact for decades to come. Epitomising the district’s mix of past and future, its centrepiece, Zayed National Museum, will train new generations of Emirati archaeologists and historians while also preserving the oral histories and rich legacies of older citizens.

Our global PR campaign to announce and promote Saadiyat Cultural District was a major success. Featuring Oprah Winfrey, the actor Idris Elba, the artist Azza Al Qubaisi, the architect Lord Norman Foster and more than 60 key figures, it reached an estimated 5 billion people in 52 markets and spurred a worldwide wave of positive sentiment on social platforms.

Promoting literacy and the advancement of our national language, the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre continues to empower Arabic speakers and learners, and support the publishing industry. More than 286,000 books were sold in 2024, driven by strong performances at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and broader publication sales across various channels, including Al Ain Book Festival and Al Dhafra Book Festival. The centre is also harnessing the power of innovation to develop and promote its initiatives, with AI-powered breakthroughs making Arabic more accessible through audio formats, digital applications and workplace programmes, expanding access to education and research.

The scale of DCT Abu Dhabi’s ambitions was further exemplified by our announcement in October that Abu Dhabi will be home to the world’s second Sphere venue, based on the world’s most immersive entertainment experience in Las Vegas—showcasing our status as a pioneer at the intersection of technology and live entertainment.

Our sports and entertainment events, by improving quality of life, developing infrastructure and embracing inclusion, played an essential role in Abu Dhabi's community development in 2024 and were important contributors to visitor numbers. The year’s many highlights in this area included the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, UFC Fight Night, NBA Abu Dhabi Games, the spectacular Hamilton musical and work to enhance our theme parks, including expansion of Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi.

Continuing our commitment to sharing our entire emirate with visitors, we have laid the groundwork for increased visitation in Al Ain Region and Al Dhafra Region with promotions in domestic and neighbouring markets.

LOOKING AHEAD

Together with our partners and stakeholders, we will continue to play our part in this journey of progress and prosperity, collaborating with peers and partners who are committed to this shared vision of success. A tremendous opportunity is in front of us, and it’s time to double down on our strategic thinking and fully unlock the power of the Abu Dhabi ecosystem.

In bringing this vision to life, we are harnessing the potential of our people, while laying strong foundations for the even greater successes of future generations. As the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, once said: “… Our goal is to prepare the next generation to carry the responsibility for building the future...”

With our valued partners, we are not only building Abu Dhabi’s bright future, we are delivering an enduring legacy, enlightening generations both young and old, exchanging insights with visitors from around the world, and expressing universal truths through art and culture. Thank you for sharing our journey, with much more to come.

H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak
Chairman
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi

Our collective achievements in 2024 represent a pivotal moment in our transformative journey. By sharing and celebrating these major milestones, we continue to inspire citizens, residents and visitors, building a legacy of innovation, knowledge exchange and cultural expression that will last for generations to come, spanning Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Region and Al Dhafra Region.

This commitment to a brighter future for our youth and community is a unifying purpose that drives every one of us at DCT Abu Dhabi. It is a purpose rooted in our conviction that we are harnessing the power of culture as a global good. We celebrate and share our unique Emirati identity globally, and that preservation and promotion of culture, alongside knowledge development, has the power to foster inclusion, inspire communities and empower youth. Cultural education and inclusion enable our communities to become active stewards of their heritage, ensuring that our legacy lives on through local action and global solidarity.

This takes various forms, including events such as the Al Hosn, Maritime Heritage and Traditional Handicrafts festivals. Our artisans and makers are empowered and supported through initiatives like Abu Dhabi Crafts and the Abu Dhabi Register of Artisans, while the Mawhibaty programme continues to lift up and inspire youth to discover and develop their creative passions. Throughout the year, a roster of cultural programmes have enhanced quality of life for all our visitors, and everyone who calls Abu Dhabi “home”.

Our focus on youth is why we invest in initiatives such as the Tourism Youth Summer Camp, Khebraty and other vocational training programmes, which encourage Emirati students to pursue careers in tourism and hospitality and play their part in strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a global destination. With sports a key driver of community cohesion and wellbeing, the rapidly growing Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League empowers young talent and further solidifies the emirate’s position as a global hub for both sporting participation and entertainment.

LANDMARK MOMENTS

In addition to major cultural programmes, key milestones included the launch of the Tourism Strategy 2030. Announced in April by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and spearheaded by DCT Abu Dhabi, the strategy signals a new era of expansion and strategic development in the travel and tourism sector. Our new targets include an increase in visitor numbers from nearly 24 million in 2023 to 39.3 million by 2030 and the creation of 178,000 new jobs.

The ambitious targets are on track for delivery thanks to a range of contributing factors and initiatives, including our unique attractions and cultural experiences, a year-round sports and entertainment calendar, events and conferences that promote cultural and intellectual exchange—including Culture Summit Abu Dhabi and the UNESCO World Conference on Culture and Arts Education.

Meanwhile, Saadiyat Cultural District continues to emerge as the world’s greatest collection of cultural institutions, and a beacon of enlightenment. In October, His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, toured Saadiyat Cultural District and was briefed on the progress of the final stages of construction, on track for completion by the end of 2025, with the opening of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi following thereafter.

The launch of a fully realised Saadiyat Cultural District is a landmark moment that will define our trajectory and global impact for decades to come. Epitomising the district’s mix of past and future, its centrepiece, Zayed National Museum, will train new generations of Emirati archaeologists and historians while also preserving the oral histories and rich legacies of older citizens.

Our global PR campaign to announce and promote Saadiyat Cultural District was a major success. Featuring Oprah Winfrey, the actor Idris Elba, the artist Azza Al Qubaisi, the architect Lord Norman Foster and more than 60 key figures, it reached an estimated 5 billion people in 52 markets and spurred a worldwide wave of positive sentiment on social platforms.

Promoting literacy and the advancement of our national language, the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre continues to empower Arabic speakers and learners, and support the publishing industry. More than 286,000 books were sold in 2024, driven by strong performances at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and broader publication sales across various channels, including Al Ain Book Festival and Al Dhafra Book Festival. The centre is also harnessing the power of innovation to develop and promote its initiatives, with AI-powered breakthroughs making Arabic more accessible through audio formats, digital applications and workplace programmes, expanding access to education and research.

The scale of DCT Abu Dhabi’s ambitions was further exemplified by our announcement in October that Abu Dhabi will be home to the world’s second Sphere venue, based on the world’s most immersive entertainment experience in Las Vegas—showcasing our status as a pioneer at the intersection of technology and live entertainment.

Our sports and entertainment events, by improving quality of life, developing infrastructure and embracing inclusion, played an essential role in Abu Dhabi's community development in 2024 and were important contributors to visitor numbers. The year’s many highlights in this area included the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, UFC Fight Night, NBA Abu Dhabi Games, the spectacular Hamilton musical and work to enhance our theme parks, including expansion of Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi.

Continuing our commitment to sharing our entire emirate with visitors, we have laid the groundwork for increased visitation in Al Ain Region and Al Dhafra Region with promotions in domestic and neighbouring markets.

LOOKING AHEAD

Together with our partners and stakeholders, we will continue to play our part in this journey of progress and prosperity, collaborating with peers and partners who are committed to this shared vision of success. A tremendous opportunity is in front of us, and it’s time to double down on our strategic thinking and fully unlock the power of the Abu Dhabi ecosystem.

In bringing this vision to life, we are harnessing the potential of our people, while laying strong foundations for the even greater successes of future generations. As the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, once said: “… Our goal is to prepare the next generation to carry the responsibility for building the future...”

With our valued partners, we are not only building Abu Dhabi’s bright future, we are delivering an enduring legacy, enlightening generations both young and old, exchanging insights with visitors from around the world, and expressing universal truths through art and culture. Thank you for sharing our journey, with much more to come.

H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak
Chairman
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi

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DCT Abu Dhabi continued its journey to elevate the emirate as a cultural and tourism destination, and our momentum shows no signs of slowing. With culture at the heart of all that we do, we are enhancing Abu Dhabi’s standing globally, across events, entertainment, and visitor experiences, while facilitating our cultural and tourism ecosystems, inspired by the ambitious vision outlined in Tourism Strategy 2030. Across our business units and around the world, the people of DCT Abu Dhabi made 2024 a momentous success by delivering results and embracing organisational excellence. Along with our partners, we have much to celebrate from a pivotal year, in which we delivered impressive figures on several fronts:

Our cultural sites, libraries and museums welcomed more than 5.5 million visitors. More than 1.8 million people attended key cultural events, festivals and platforms, including annual events like Al Hosn Festival and the first edition of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial.Visitation to Louvre Abu Dhabi reached a record of more than 1.4 million, going from strength to strength with incredible exhibitions such as From Kalila wa Dimna to La Fontaine and Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances. GDP impact from Abu Dhabi Gaming reached 580 million dirhams, enabling a thriving ecosystem for game development and esports.

Approximately 450,000 attendees came to our Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre book fairs and festivals, championing proficiency in our language and expanding readership of Arabic literature both at home and across the Arab world. Under the stewardship of the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, we hosted 20 mega-events in 2024, a 15% increase from 2023. These events attracted an estimated 1.15 million delegates, a year-on-year increase in MICE tourism of 20%. Supporting these results and enhancing our duty to deliver, DCT Abu Dhabi has expanded its global presence significantly. We now have 13 international offices serving a total of 23 countries. Overall, we are active in 45 markets, which is a remarkable growth from 14 markets in 2019, allowing us to reach new audiences and forge new partnerships.

Throughout the year we signed 212 joint marketing partnerships; conducted 160 trainings, webinars, and workshops; participated in 16 roadshows and 6 major exhibitions; and showcased our destination across 38 cities globally, proactively sharing Abu Dhabi with the world. These results fuel the momentum of our new Tourism Strategy 2030, which is contributing to the emirate’s economic diversification with targets to expand hotel room availability by more than half (from 2023); to nearly double the number of international visitors; and to elevate the tourism and travel sector's GDP contribution to AED 90 billion from the 2023 figure of AED 49 billion.

ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE

DCT Abu Dhabi continues to challenge conventional thinking, accelerating growth and innovation across all sectors. For example, in May we announced the launch of the DCT Abu Dhabi Events Platform, a first-of-its-kind B2B platform providing partners with information and visibility on all upcoming events in Abu Dhabi. Innovations such as this would not be possible without DCT Abu Dhabi’s people and partners, who contribute the expertise, diligence and creativity that bring our plans to life. With the rate at which Saadiyat Cultural District is approaching completion, it is critical that we enable our next wave of leaders to grow so they can contribute to achieving DCT Abu Dhabi’s strategic objectives.

Our talent development team, with experts from visual designers to organisational psychologists, has developed a strategy to reskill and upskill existing talent and nurture emerging talent through four focus areas: knowledge tours and placements; a leadership programme; international mentorships; and our new DCTLEARN platform, which has more than 200 bite-sized online courses in areas from art appreciation to museum management and communications. The focus on employee development and training is safeguarding DCT Abu Dhabi’s edge as an employer of choice. It ensures that we are building capacity and equipping young people—in particular Emiratis—with the skills they need to pursue specialised careers in the culture and creative industries.

As we aim even higher in 2025, let us remain united by purpose and continue to inspire one another while delivering results and pursuing further organisational excellence.

H.E. Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani
Undersecretary
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi