Abu Dhabi welcomes a record 26.6 million visitors in 2025

Abu Dhabi hosted a record 26.6 million visitors in 2025, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi said on Monday, marking its strongest tourism performance to date.

The figures highlight continued growth across the sector, with hotel revenues rising nearly 20 per cent to AED9.1 billion dirhams and international visitor numbers increasing by 10 per cent.

Officials say the emirate’s cultural attractions played a key role, drawing more than 8.6 million visitors to sites and libraries, while major events and festivals attracted over 4.2 million attendees.

The meetings and events sector also saw strong growth, with delegate numbers up 40 per cent to 2.2 million, supported by large-scale conferences and exhibitions.

Abu Dhabi hosted 5.9 million hotel guests, with India remaining the largest source market, followed by Russia, the UK and China.

Cultural landmarks including the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Qasr Al Hosn continued to attract large numbers of visitors, as the emirate expands its cultural offering.

The 2025 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix achieved a record-breaking total attendance of 339,000 across the race weekend, a 7 per cent increase from 2024.

Other major events included Coldplay's four sold-out concerts at Zayed Sports City (193,470 attendees), Abu Dhabi T10 cricket (approximately 100,000 attendees), and Liwa Village (more than 159,000 attendees), the centrepiece of Liwa International Festival.

The Mother of the Nation Festival, held across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Region, and Al Dhafra Region, attracted 252,988 visitors, while otjer culture and heritage festivals, including Al Hosn Festival, Traditional Handicrafts Festival and Maritime Heritage Festival, collectively welcomed more than 608,000 visitors.

Officials say the results reflect Abu Dhabi’s growing position as a global tourism and cultural destination, supported by infrastructure, events and ongoing investment in the sector.