‘Most iconic tourist experiences in Dubai are free’, says DET’s Hoor Al Khaja
It is a misconception that Dubai is a luxury-only destination, says the DET official
Dubai: Is Dubai an expensive city for tourists? Hoor Al Khaja, Senior VP of International Operations, Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has challenged the stereotype that Dubai is a luxury-only destination and said, “This is one of the misconceptions people have about Dubai that it is expensive... I can’t go there, I can’t do things there. Most of the iconic things to do in this city are free.”
“The biggest landmark in the city is obviously Burj Khalifa, and the best view is (the tower) is from Dubai Mall. Visitors can be (at the mall) and watch the Dubai Fountain show (where there is a show every 30 minutes) all day for free. Or you can go to Old Dubai and catch an abra, which costs just 50 cents. Dubai being expensive is a misconception that we continue to work. There is truly something in Dubai for all segments,” Hoor said at the Skift Global Forum in Dubai on Wednesday.
According to research from real estate advisory group and property consultant Cavendish Maxwell, more than 2,700 new hotel rooms were delivered in Dubai in the first half of 2024, with a further 10,100 set to come onto the market by the end of 2025.
According to the report, hotels in the 4-star category saw the biggest growth compared to 2023, with 436 new rooms delivered in H1 2024 – a 216% increase on the same period last year.
Healthy mix of mid-scale and luxury
Commenting on whether Dubai’s focus on opening mid-scale hotels would dilute the luxury offerings in the city, Hoor said, “I don’t think it is a new approach. One of the first things we did 10 years ago was look at the forward projections versus hotel supply, we were looking at a situation where we may have an oversupply of the upper scale segment. Even though we did have a relatively good mix of mid-scale hotels.”
She said that the government decided back then that it did not want to “price people out. We didn’t want to be known just for the uber-luxury segment. We want to be accessible to all segments.”
In 2015, Hoor said the government devised a lucrative scheme that waived off several fees levied by various government entities on investors planning to open 3-4-star hotel properties in the next 2-3 years as an incentive scheme.
“That did come to fruition, and the important part is that we worked with the land and municipality department as well, where these properties were zoned in hot tourist spots just so there was range. If you look at the mix today, of 5-star versus the 2,3,1 or even hotel apartment segment, it is an extremely healthy mix,” she stated.
Tourism is one of Dubai's biggest contributors to its GDP. The city saw 17 million visitors in 2023, and from January to September 2024, the Emirate welcomed 13.29 million visitors, which is a 7% year-on-year increase compared to the same time last year.
The Dubai Reef project
Commenting on the status of the Dubai Reef project, a sustainability initiative that will enhance marine biodiversity by deploying 20,000 purpose-built reef modules, Hoor said 1,000 modules will be placed into 60kms of the oceans this weekend. “An example of how the city is walking the talk regarding sustainability goals is DET has a live carbon calculator, and we are awarding sustainable properties. This year we awarded our first 70 properties,” Hoor explained.
She also said accessibility was high on Dubai Tourism’s agenda and the Emirate was looking to earn a city-wide Certified Autism Centre (CAC) designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). Dubai International Airport (DXB) was the first to earn the CAC designation.