Living the vision
Our collective achievements represent a pivotal moment in our transformative journey. These major milestones inspire citizens, residents and visitors, and build a legacy of innovation, knowledge exchange and cultural expression that will last for generations to come.
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From ambition to impact
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Undersecretary
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
We are The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi
We enrich people’s lives by sharing Abu Dhabi with the world. Promoting, protecting and progressing Abu Dhabi with culture and tourism at the heart of everything we do. Visionary and sustainably driven, and collaborating to succeed.
Culture Sector
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"Abu Dhabi always envisions culture as the heartbeat of society—preserving heritage, inspiring creativity, and shaping a sustainable cultural capital for generations to come. Through inclusive policies, world-class institutions, and innovative programmes, we transform tradition into a catalyst for progress, fostering connection, creativity, and prosperity across our communities."
Rita Aoun
Executive Director Culture Sector
Culture Sector
"Abu Dhabi always envisions culture as the heartbeat of society—preserving heritage, inspiring creativity, and shaping a sustainable cultural capital for generations to come. Through inclusive policies, world-class institutions, and innovative programmes, we transform tradition into a catalyst for progress, fostering connection, creativity, and prosperity across our communities."
Rita Aoun
Executive Director Culture Sector
Advanced cultural enrichment and preservation over the past year.
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Museums opened in 2025
8.6
Visitors to culture sites
5
UNESCO inscriptions
608
Visitors to cultural festivals
ALC
Arabic is a river of life in an age of screens.
Since its establishment, the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has been on a mission to elevate Arabic as a language of knowledge, creativity, and innovation. Leading comprehensive efforts to modernise the language and expand its presence in global cultural, academic, and scientific fields, the ALC is ensuring the Arabic language evolves with relevance and purpose in the modern era. The Centre champions Arabic through a wide range of programmes and projects. Among other initiatives, the ALC promotes literacy and publishing in print, digital, and audio formats; curates specialist Arabic libraries; offers access to rare book databases; and translates key works from other languages.
"Through advanced digital initiatives and strategic partnerships, the Centre is strengthening Arabic's presence in the digital sphere, expanding access to knowledge, and empowering younger generations to engage with their language using the tools of their time. This is a long-term cultural project that safeguards our collective memory while ensuring Arabic remains a gateway to the future.*"
H.E. Dr. Ali bin Tamim
Chairman
Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre
ALC
"Through advanced digital initiatives and strategic partnerships, the Centre is strengthening Arabic's presence in the digital sphere, expanding access to knowledge, and empowering younger generations to engage with their language using the tools of their time. This is a long-term cultural project that safeguards our collective memory while ensuring Arabic remains a gateway to the future.*"
H.E. Dr. Ali bin Tamim
Chairman
Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre
A year of sharing and celebrating the Arabic language.
1
Amazon Partnership
125
ebooks published
250
Events during National Reading Month
Tourism Sector
In 2025, efforts continued to focus on enhancing visitor experiences, supporting the growth of tourism infrastructure, and strengthening the emirate’s international profile. Working closely with industry stakeholders, the department supported capacity building and service excellence, while targeted promotional campaigns and marquee events ensured sustained visibility in key markets. With a growing portfolio of attractions and experiences tailored to both leisure and business travellers, Abu Dhabi continues to offer something for every visitor.
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"It has been a defining year in our journey to shape Abu Dhabi into one of the world's most vibrant tourism destinations. We strengthened our global positioning, expanded our cultural and entertainment portfolio, and delivered a year-round calendar that celebrates creativity, diversity, and authentic Emirati hospitality. Growth in international visitation and destination consideration reflects the strength of our partnership ecosystem and our commitment to enhancing every stage of the visitor journey."
H.E. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry
Director General for Tourism
Tourism Sector
"It has been a defining year in our journey to shape Abu Dhabi into one of the world's most vibrant tourism destinations. We strengthened our global positioning, expanded our cultural and entertainment portfolio, and delivered a year-round calendar that celebrates creativity, diversity, and authentic Emirati hospitality. Growth in international visitation and destination consideration reflects the strength of our partnership ecosystem and our commitment to enhancing every stage of the visitor journey."
H.E. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry
Director General for Tourism
We achieved significant growth and drove innovation in tourism this past year.
5.9M
Total Hotel Guests
2.2M+
B2B Event Visitors
23
Mega Events
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Cruise Visitors
Strategic Affairs
Building collective momentum to achieve key milestones.
The Strategic Affairs Sector at DCT Abu Dhabi plays an important role in driving sustainable growth, building resilience, and making a long-term impact. By adopting a data-first approach, the department continuously analyses performance, identifies opportunities, and refines goals— ensuring that every departmental action contributes meaningfully to the emirate’s ambitious vision.
In 2025, strategic insights and digital transformation efforts, including several AI initiatives, drove key improvements and efficiencies both within the organisation and across Abu Dhabi’s tourism and culture sectors. Supported by achievements like QUEST certification and the GIMI Level 2 Certification in Innovation Management, these efforts directly contributed to greater departmental governance and destination management, underscoring a commitment to operational excellence and continued advancement.
In 2025, strategic insights and digital transformation efforts, including several AI initiatives, drove key improvements and efficiencies both within the organisation and across Abu Dhabi’s tourism and culture sectors. Supported by achievements like QUEST certification and the GIMI Level 2 Certification in Innovation Management, these efforts directly contributed to greater departmental governance and destination management, underscoring a commitment to operational excellence and continued advancement.
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Executive Director
Strategic Affairs Sector
"The Strategic Affairs Sector strengthened alignment and delivered meaningful impact across its programmes in 2025, reinforcing Abu Dhabi's position as a leading cultural and tourism destination. The year also marked tangible progress in our digital transformation journey, with the advancement of Al-driven initiatives that enhanced operational efficiency. By reinforcing our commitment to strategic foresight and data-led decision-making, the Sector continues to unlock new opportunities, navigate emerging challenges, and contribute to a future-ready Abu Dhabi."
Marketing and Communications
Enriching lives by sharing Abu Dhabi with the world.
We are a data-driven marketing and communications team, mandated to deliver and support excellence through integrated communications and unified storytelling for DCT Abu Dhabi and its stakeholders. Strategic Marketing & Communications (SM&C) is the custodian of the DCT Abu Dhabi and Experience Abu Dhabi brands, as well as Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi Calendar, Liwa International Festival and other sub-brands. In 2024, we strengthened our corporate comms function, established SM&C as a global leader in tourism and cultural destination marketing, and extended reach through landmark partnerships.
"In 2025, SM&C continued to play a defining role in shaping how Abu Dhabi is seen, understood and experienced around the world. We advanced a more integrated, performance-led approach to destination marketing—one that brings culture and tourism together, leverages data and creativity in equal measure, and delivers measurable impact across the full visitor journey. By expanding our global reach, deepening audience relevance and strengthening partnerships, we enhanced awareness, consideration and intent across priority markets."
Steve Cox
Acting Executive Director
Strategic Marketing & Communications
Marketing and Communications
"In 2025, SM&C continued to play a defining role in shaping how Abu Dhabi is seen, understood and experienced around the world. We advanced a more integrated, performance-led approach to destination marketing—one that brings culture and tourism together, leverages data and creativity in equal measure, and delivers measurable impact across the full visitor journey. By expanding our global reach, deepening audience relevance and strengthening partnerships, we enhanced awareness, consideration and intent across priority markets."
Steve Cox
Acting Executive Director
Strategic Marketing & Communications
We enhanced our outreach and engagement through strategic marketing efforts.
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Media Reach
11.5
Influencer Impressions
25
Market Playbooks
#1
Destination on TikTok
Support Services
The Support Services Sector enables business growth across all teams.
The Support Services Sector enables business growth across by providing essential services that uphold the highest operational standards. Its dedicated teams include human resources, finance, IT and other key functions, who ensure strong internal collaboration and effective stakeholder alignment. The sector facilitates talent development and strengthens organisational capacity, while also delivering important social initiatives as part of DCT Abu Dhabi's wider CSR strategy.
"In 2025, our focus was on enabling scale, ensuring that DCT Abu Dhabi's growth was supported by systems, services and people designed for long-term performance. Through continued digital integration, disciplined financial stewardship and a people-centred operating model, we enhanced operational efficiency while maintaining the agility required to meet the evolving needs of the organisation and its stakeholders."
H.E. Hamad Mohammed Alsudain
Executive Director Support Services
Support Services
"In 2025, our focus was on enabling scale, ensuring that DCT Abu Dhabi's growth was supported by systems, services and people designed for long-term performance. Through continued digital integration, disciplined financial stewardship and a people-centred operating model, we enhanced operational efficiency while maintaining the agility required to meet the evolving needs of the organisation and its stakeholders."
H.E. Hamad Mohammed Alsudain
Executive Director Support Services
Explore our ongoing journey in shaping Abu Dhabi into a leading destination for culture, business, and leisure.
© 2025 DCT. All rights reserved.
Living the vision
Living the vision
In 2025, DCT Abu Dhabi delivered a series of landmark accomplishments that reinforce the emirate’s position as a leading global destination for culture, tourism and live experiences. The opening of five museums within a single year represents one of the most significant periods of cultural development anywhere in the world.
Zayed National Museum officially opened its doors on 2 December. It was a pivotal moment for the Department, for Abu Dhabi and for the UAE as a whole. The national museum is a tribute to the story of our land and our people, and a milestone that symbolises progress towards our vision to establish the emirate as the world’s foremost cultural and tourism destination.
This was the culmination of a vision first set in motion 16 years ago with the opening of Manarat Al Saadiyat. Now, as an organisation we are embodying and living that vision, continuing Abu Dhabi’s long-term commitment to culture as a cornerstone of national identity, global dialogue and sustainable long-term development.
A year of defining achievements
We marked the reopening of Al Ain Museum and Al Maqta'a Museum and welcomed the future of Saadiyat Cultural District with the openings of teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi in April, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi in November and, just two weeks later, Zayed National Museum. Together, these institutions enrich Abu Dhabi’s cultural ecosystem, broaden public access to knowledge, and strengthen our role as a centre for learning, creativity and discovery.
Abu Dhabi's tourism sector continued to mature and diversify, reinforced by a growing calendar of global events and long-term partnerships. The diverse, year-round programme of concerts, festivals and live entertainment strengthened our international profile and complemented the range of cultural openings and programming. The announcements of a Disney theme park and resort, alongside the upcoming Sphere Abu Dhabi, signals confidence in the emirate’s ambition to lead in immersive entertainment and live experiences.
At the same time, Abu Dhabi further cemented its status as a regional hub for sport, successfully hosting UFC and Formula 1 events, alongside the NBA Abu Dhabi Games and the region’s first EuroLeague Final Four. These events not only thrilled fans worldwide but also reinforced sport’s role in community engagement, youth development and global visibility.
As the longest-serving institution within Saadiyat Cultural District, Louvre Abu Dhabi continues to thrive, welcoming growing audiences through its permanent collection and major temporary exhibitions, including Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire, and Kings and Queens of Africa: Forms and Figures of Power.
Arts, culture and innovation in dialogue
Throughout the year, DCT Abu Dhabi continued to explore innovative approaches to making art and culture accessible to broader audiences. Initiatives such as the inaugural Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, the expansion of Manar Abu Dhabi’s light installations to Al Ain Region, and the launch of the Abu Dhabi Masterpieces Collection reflects our commitment to integrating culture into everyday public life.
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2025 further positioned the emirate as a global platform for thought leadership. Under the theme Culture for Humanity and Beyond, the Summit convened leading voices from around the world to explore the evolving relationship between culture, technology and society, including the implications of artificial intelligence for creative expression
Championing the Arabic language remains a core priority. Our alliance between the Arabic Language Centre and Amazon will make Arabic-language content accessible through Alexa voice services in the UAE and regionally, supporting the language’s presence within emerging digital and creative industries.
Extending the international reach of Abu Dhabi’s cultural platforms, the evolution of Abu Dhabi Art into Frieze Abu Dhabi from next year will further elevate the region’s artistic ecosystem and strengthen its global connections.
The continuous growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors is reflected in the numbers. Abu Dhabi welcomed 5.9 million hotel guests last year, with performance underpinned by strong demand and sustained length of stay. Visitor growth translated into strong commercial performance, with total hotel revenues reaching AED 9.1 billion (+19.5%), supported by a 19% rise in average daily rate (ADR) to AED 591.
This journey of transformation is collective. The success achieved this year reflects a shared commitment to excellence and a clear sense of purpose, one that will continue to shape Abu Dhabi’s future for generations to come.
HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak
Chairman
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
In 2025, DCT Abu Dhabi delivered a series of landmark accomplishments that reinforce the emirate’s position as a leading global destination for culture, tourism and live experiences. The opening of five museums within a single year represents one of the most significant periods of cultural development anywhere in the world.
Zayed National Museum officially opened its doors on 2 December. It was a pivotal moment for the Department, for Abu Dhabi and for the UAE as a whole. The national museum is a tribute to the story of our land and our people, and a milestone that symbolises progress towards our vision to establish the emirate as the world’s foremost cultural and tourism destination.
This was the culmination of a vision first set in motion 16 years ago with the opening of Manarat Al Saadiyat. Now, as an organisation we are embodying and living that vision, continuing Abu Dhabi’s long-term commitment to culture as a cornerstone of national identity, global dialogue and sustainable long-term development.
A year of defining achievements
We marked the reopening of Al Ain Museum and Al Maqta'a Museum and welcomed the future of Saadiyat Cultural District with the openings of teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi in April, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi in November and, just two weeks later, Zayed National Museum. Together, these institutions enrich Abu Dhabi’s cultural ecosystem, broaden public access to knowledge, and strengthen our role as a centre for learning, creativity and discovery.
Abu Dhabi's tourism sector continued to mature and diversify, reinforced by a growing calendar of global events and long-term partnerships. The diverse, year-round programme of concerts, festivals and live entertainment strengthened our international profile and complemented the range of cultural openings and programming. The announcements of a Disney theme park and resort, alongside the upcoming Sphere Abu Dhabi, signals confidence in the emirate’s ambition to lead in immersive entertainment and live experiences.
At the same time, Abu Dhabi further cemented its status as a regional hub for sport, successfully hosting UFC and Formula 1 events, alongside the NBA Abu Dhabi Games and the region’s first EuroLeague Final Four. These events not only thrilled fans worldwide but also reinforced sport’s role in community engagement, youth development and global visibility.
As the longest-serving institution within Saadiyat Cultural District, Louvre Abu Dhabi continues to thrive, welcoming growing audiences through its permanent collection and major temporary exhibitions, including Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire, and Kings and Queens of Africa: Forms and Figures of Power.
Arts, culture and innovation in dialogue
Throughout the year, DCT Abu Dhabi continued to explore innovative approaches to making art and culture accessible to broader audiences. Initiatives such as the inaugural Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, the expansion of Manar Abu Dhabi’s light installations to Al Ain Region, and the launch of the Abu Dhabi Masterpieces Collection reflects our commitment to integrating culture into everyday public life.
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2025 further positioned the emirate as a global platform for thought leadership. Under the theme Culture for Humanity and Beyond, the Summit convened leading voices from around the world to explore the evolving relationship between culture, technology and society, including the implications of artificial intelligence for creative expression
Championing the Arabic language remains a core priority. Our alliance between the Arabic Language Centre and Amazon will make Arabic-language content accessible through Alexa voice services in the UAE and regionally, supporting the language’s presence within emerging digital and creative industries.
Extending the international reach of Abu Dhabi’s cultural platforms, the evolution of Abu Dhabi Art into Frieze Abu Dhabi from next year will further elevate the region’s artistic ecosystem and strengthen its global connections.
The continuous growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors is reflected in the numbers. Abu Dhabi welcomed 5.9 million hotel guests last year, with performance underpinned by strong demand and sustained length of stay. Visitor growth translated into strong commercial performance, with total hotel revenues reaching AED 9.1 billion (+19.5%), supported by a 19% rise in average daily rate (ADR) to AED 591.
This journey of transformation is collective. The success achieved this year reflects a shared commitment to excellence and a clear sense of purpose, one that will continue to shape Abu Dhabi’s future for generations to come.
HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak
Chairman
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
In 2025, DCT Abu Dhabi delivered a series of landmark accomplishments that reinforce the emirate’s position as a leading global destination for culture, tourism and live experiences. The opening of five museums within a single year represents one of the most significant periods of cultural development anywhere in the world.
Zayed National Museum officially opened its doors on 2 December. It was a pivotal moment for the Department, for Abu Dhabi and for the UAE as a whole. The national museum is a tribute to the story of our land and our people, and a milestone that symbolises progress towards our vision to establish the emirate as the world’s foremost cultural and tourism destination.
This was the culmination of a vision first set in motion 16 years ago with the opening of Manarat Al Saadiyat. Now, as an organisation we are embodying and living that vision, continuing Abu Dhabi’s long-term commitment to culture as a cornerstone of national identity, global dialogue and sustainable long-term development.
A year of defining achievements
We marked the reopening of Al Ain Museum and Al Maqta'a Museum and welcomed the future of Saadiyat Cultural District with the openings of teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi in April, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi in November and, just two weeks later, Zayed National Museum. Together, these institutions enrich Abu Dhabi’s cultural ecosystem, broaden public access to knowledge, and strengthen our role as a centre for learning, creativity and discovery.
Abu Dhabi's tourism sector continued to mature and diversify, reinforced by a growing calendar of global events and long-term partnerships. The diverse, year-round programme of concerts, festivals and live entertainment strengthened our international profile and complemented the range of cultural openings and programming. The announcements of a Disney theme park and resort, alongside the upcoming Sphere Abu Dhabi, signals confidence in the emirate’s ambition to lead in immersive entertainment and live experiences.
At the same time, Abu Dhabi further cemented its status as a regional hub for sport, successfully hosting UFC and Formula 1 events, alongside the NBA Abu Dhabi Games and the region’s first EuroLeague Final Four. These events not only thrilled fans worldwide but also reinforced sport’s role in community engagement, youth development and global visibility.
As the longest-serving institution within Saadiyat Cultural District, Louvre Abu Dhabi continues to thrive, welcoming growing audiences through its permanent collection and major temporary exhibitions, including Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire, and Kings and Queens of Africa: Forms and Figures of Power.
Arts, culture and innovation in dialogue
Throughout the year, DCT Abu Dhabi continued to explore innovative approaches to making art and culture accessible to broader audiences. Initiatives such as the inaugural Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial, the expansion of Manar Abu Dhabi’s light installations to Al Ain Region, and the launch of the Abu Dhabi Masterpieces Collection reflects our commitment to integrating culture into everyday public life.
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2025 further positioned the emirate as a global platform for thought leadership. Under the theme Culture for Humanity and Beyond, the Summit convened leading voices from around the world to explore the evolving relationship between culture, technology and society, including the implications of artificial intelligence for creative expression
Championing the Arabic language remains a core priority. Our alliance between the Arabic Language Centre and Amazon will make Arabic-language content accessible through Alexa voice services in the UAE and regionally, supporting the language’s presence within emerging digital and creative industries.
Extending the international reach of Abu Dhabi’s cultural platforms, the evolution of Abu Dhabi Art into Frieze Abu Dhabi from next year will further elevate the region’s artistic ecosystem and strengthen its global connections.
The continuous growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors is reflected in the numbers. Abu Dhabi welcomed 5.9 million hotel guests last year, with performance underpinned by strong demand and sustained length of stay. Visitor growth translated into strong commercial performance, with total hotel revenues reaching AED 9.1 billion (+19.5%), supported by a 19% rise in average daily rate (ADR) to AED 591.
This journey of transformation is collective. The success achieved this year reflects a shared commitment to excellence and a clear sense of purpose, one that will continue to shape Abu Dhabi’s future for generations to come.
HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak
Chairman
Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
.
From ambition to impact
From ambition to impact
Performance aligned with Tourism Strategy 2030
Our performance in 2025 keeps Abu Dhabi firmly on track to achieve the ambitions set out in the Tourism Strategy 2030. Double-digit growth in international overnight visitors has placed us ahead of target, supported by consistent demand across priority source markets.
Following a strong first three quarters, the final quarter of 2025 marked a peak period of global visibility. Major museum openings and a robust calendar of international events further reinforced Abu Dhabi’s positioning as a world-class destination for culture and live experiences.
Cultural programmes and festivals continued to attract international attention while celebrating local heritage, with highlights including Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Art Here exhibition, the Kanz Al Jeel poetry awards, the Maritime Heritage Festival and the Traditional Handicrafts Festival.
Abu Dhabi’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) sector reached new heights, with 2025 seeing record numbers of business events taking place in the emirate – including 23 mega events, and landmark gatherings such as International Dragon Awards Annual Conference, BRIDGE Summit and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. With a total of 5,925 business events generating well over two million delegates, our MICE visitor target was exceeded by 18%.
This growth has been powered by several key enablers: expanded and more targeted marketing activity across 25 international markets, increased air connectivity, and the continued expansion of Abu Dhabi’s events calendar.
Through Abu Dhabi Calendar, residents and visitors engaged with a diverse programme spanning major sporting events, including the NBA Abu Dhabi Games, EuroLeague Final Four, UFC 321 and Formula 1, alongside comedy, cultural and lifestyle experiences. In parallel, the revised Hotel Classification Manual raised hospitality standards further, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s long-standing commitment to quality, consistency and guest experience.
Driving innovation through AI
In 2025, we moved decisively from experimentation to implementation in the use of artificial intelligence. Abu Dhabi has begun its journey towards becoming a leading AI-first destination, underpinned by three priorities: enhanced visitor experience, operational excellence and targeted growth.
More than 23 AI initiatives were progressed during the year, including the deployment of a digital concierge now serving guests across more than 80 hotels and alternative accommodation providers. These initiatives are delivering tangible benefits: improving service efficiency; supporting data-driven decision-making; enabling more personalised visitor journeys; and strengthening the overall performance of the tourism ecosystem.
Investing in people and capability
Delivering long-term success requires sustained investment in people. In 2025, we expanded our talent development efforts with the launch of NAWAH, our Future Leaders Programme, designed to support the next generation of Emirati leaders as they advance in their careers.
NAWAH complements an established portfolio of capability-building initiatives, including DCTLEARN, MuseoPro, Khebraty and the Tourism Youth Summer Camp, ensuring that our workforce is equipped with the skills, knowledge and perspective required to support Abu Dhabi’s ambitions.
A shared agenda for the future
Internally, our inaugural Business Pulse 360 provided an opportunity for all our teams to reflect on the scale and breadth of this progress, bringing together insights from across the organisation to demonstrate how coordinated action, shared priorities and operational alignment are driving results.
It reinforced the importance of working as one organisation, focused on execution and impact. We also defined DCT 2.0, a refreshed organisational DNA that clarifies how we work, how we collaborate and how we deliver. This process resulted in a shared purpose statement that will guide our priorities in the years ahead:
“We inspire people to connect deeply with Abu Dhabi, nurturing creativity, belonging and prosperity for generations to come.”
This purpose underpins our continued focus on disciplined execution, sustainable growth and long-term value creation. As we look to 2026 and beyond, our priority remains clear: to deliver measurable progress for Abu Dhabi and its people, while creating enriching experiences for all who live in and visit the emirate.
Performance aligned with Tourism Strategy 2030
Our performance in 2025 keeps Abu Dhabi firmly on track to achieve the ambitions set out in the Tourism Strategy 2030. Double-digit growth in international overnight visitors has placed us ahead of target, supported by consistent demand across priority source markets.
Following a strong first three quarters, the final quarter of 2025 marked a peak period of global visibility. Major museum openings and a robust calendar of international events further reinforced Abu Dhabi’s positioning as a world-class destination for culture and live experiences.
Cultural programmes and festivals continued to attract international attention while celebrating local heritage, with highlights including Louvre Abu Dhabi’s Art Here exhibition, the Kanz Al Jeel poetry awards, the Maritime Heritage Festival and the Traditional Handicrafts Festival.
Abu Dhabi’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) sector reached new heights, with 2025 seeing record numbers of business events taking place in the emirate – including 23 mega events, and landmark gatherings such as International Dragon Awards Annual Conference, BRIDGE Summit and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. With a total of 5,925 business events generating well over two million delegates, our MICE visitor target was exceeded by 18%.
This growth has been powered by several key enablers: expanded and more targeted marketing activity across 25 international markets, increased air connectivity, and the continued expansion of Abu Dhabi’s events calendar.
Through Abu Dhabi Calendar, residents and visitors engaged with a diverse programme spanning major sporting events, including the NBA Abu Dhabi Games, EuroLeague Final Four, UFC 321 and Formula 1, alongside comedy, cultural and lifestyle experiences. In parallel, the revised Hotel Classification Manual raised hospitality standards further, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s long-standing commitment to quality, consistency and guest experience.
Driving innovation through AI
In 2025, we moved decisively from experimentation to implementation in the use of artificial intelligence. Abu Dhabi has begun its journey towards becoming a leading AI-first destination, underpinned by three priorities: enhanced visitor experience, operational excellence and targeted growth.
More than 23 AI initiatives were progressed during the year, including the deployment of a digital concierge now serving guests across more than 80 hotels and alternative accommodation providers. These initiatives are delivering tangible benefits: improving service efficiency; supporting data-driven decision-making; enabling more personalised visitor journeys; and strengthening the overall performance of the tourism ecosystem.
Investing in people and capability
Delivering long-term success requires sustained investment in people. In 2025, we expanded our talent development efforts with the launch of NAWAH, our Future Leaders Programme, designed to support the next generation of Emirati leaders as they advance in their careers.
NAWAH complements an established portfolio of capability-building initiatives, including DCTLEARN, MuseoPro, Khebraty and the Tourism Youth Summer Camp, ensuring that our workforce is equipped with the skills, knowledge and perspective required to support Abu Dhabi’s ambitions.
A shared agenda for the future
Internally, our inaugural Business Pulse 360 provided an opportunity for all our teams to reflect on the scale and breadth of this progress, bringing together insights from across the organisation to demonstrate how coordinated action, shared priorities and operational alignment are driving results.
It reinforced the importance of working as one organisation, focused on execution and impact. We also defined DCT 2.0, a refreshed organisational DNA that clarifies how we work, how we collaborate and how we deliver. This process resulted in a shared purpose statement that will guide our priorities in the years ahead:
“We inspire people to connect deeply with Abu Dhabi, nurturing creativity, belonging and prosperity for generations to come.”
This purpose underpins our continued focus on disciplined execution, sustainable growth and long-term value creation. As we look to 2026 and beyond, our priority remains clear: to deliver measurable progress for Abu Dhabi and its people, while creating enriching experiences for all who live in and visit the emirate.