Post by : Mariam
Al-Faris
Photo: Dubai Government Media Office
On June 10, 2025, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) held its first City Briefing of the year at Coca-Cola Arena, bringing together over 1,300 stakeholders from hospitality, aviation, retail, and F&B sectors, as well as government bodies.
This important meeting, held in line with the UAE Year of Community, aimed to strengthen collaboration and shared goals across sectors. The interactive session focused on tourism progress, marketing campaigns, major events, and the D33 Economic Agenda.
HE Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of DET, and HE Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, highlighted Dubai's continued success in tourism, with 7.15 million international visitors from January to April 2025, a 7% increase year-on-year. Dubai welcomed 18.72 million visitors in 2024, marking two years of record growth.
Dubai’s hotel sector also expanded, reaching 153,534 rooms, with strong performance indicators.
DET showcased initiatives like
- Certified Autism Destination™ – the first in the Eastern Hemisphere, with 70,000+ trained professionals and 300+ hotels participating.
- MyDubai Communities—a new platform launched by HH Sheikh Hamdan, connecting people through 100+ interest-based groups to promote inclusion and creativity.
DET also launched global campaigns like
- Dubai. That’s How You Summer—promoting the city as a top summer getaway.
- ‘Find Your Story’ featuring Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi – showing Dubai’s exciting experiences even during short visits.
HE Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, announced the return of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) from June 27 to August 31, 2025, along with upcoming events like the Dubai Fitness Challenge, Home Festival, and Dubai Shopping Festival.
The Dubai Gastronomy Report revealed that Dubai issued 1,200 new restaurant licenses in 2024. The MICHELIN Guide 2025 now features 119 restaurants, including the city’s first three-starred restaurants, showing the city’s culinary growth.
The event ended with a call for ongoing partnership to keep driving Dubai’s global tourism momentum.
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