The United Arab Emirates is experiencing an unprecedented period of economic expansion, with comprehensive data revealing extraordinary growth across both its commercial and tourism sectors throughout 2025. According to official statistics from the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, the UAE market welcomed an impressive 220,186 new companies between January and November 2025, demonstrating the nation’s powerful appeal to global investors and entrepreneurs.
The country’s business environment has shown remarkable dynamism, with trademark registrations surging by 48.2 percent compared to the previous year, totaling over 36,000 national and international trademarks. This substantial increase underscores the UAE’s position as a premier destination for business establishment and intellectual property protection.
Concurrently, the tourism sector has achieved extraordinary milestones, receiving international recognition through multiple prestigious awards. The hospitality industry maintained its robust growth trajectory during the first three quarters of 2025, welcoming 23.27 million hotel guests—a 4.9 percent increase from the same period in 2024. This influx resulted in more than 79.3 million booked room nights, with hotel revenues climbing 7.2 percent to exceed Dh35.9 billion.
Performance metrics across the hospitality sector showed significant improvement, with hotel occupancy rates reaching 79.2 percent (a 1.8 percent increase) and the average length of stay extending from 3.38 to 3.41 nights. The Average Daily Rate rose by 4.2 percent to Dh557, while occupied room numbers increased by 3.5 percent to 46.17 million. The country’s tourism infrastructure now encompasses 1,246 hotel establishments offering 216,248 rooms nationwide.
In a testament to its global tourism leadership, the UAE secured placement among the world’s top seven destinations for international tourist spending. The prestigious appointment of Sheikha Nasser Al Nowais as Secretary-General of UN Tourism and Masfout Village’s recognition as World’s Best Tourism Village 2025 further cement the nation’s international standing.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, emphasized that these achievements coincide with the 54th Eid Al Etihad celebrations, reflecting the visionary leadership that has transformed the UAE into a model of growth and development. The minister highlighted the country’s exceptional economic performance, with real GDP growing by 4.2 percent and non-oil GDP expanding by 5.7 percent during the first half of 2025. Non-oil activities now constitute 77.5 percent of real GDP, demonstrating successful economic diversification.
The Ministry’s regulatory efforts have been equally substantial, contributing to the issuance of 11 economic laws and 8 regulatory policies covering critical areas including consumer protection, ecotourism, food security, and sustainability. This comprehensive legislative framework supports the nation’s strategic objectives under the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision, which aims to double the national economy to Dh3 trillion and establish the country as a global hub for the new economy.