Thursday, August 2, 2018
With the construction and opening of a number of mega-projects across the UAE, expectations are soaring that the Emirates will continue to be a top tourist destination well beyond 2020.
From the recently opened Dubai Opera, Warner Bros. World and Louvre Abu Dhabi to the upcoming completion of Dubai Creek Tower and Dubai Square, the Emirates is grabbing a top spot in global tourism. The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry last week predicted positive years ahead for the UAE economy.
Dr. Nasser Saidi, a former chief economist and head of external relations of Dubai International Financial Center said, “The quality of UAE tourism and infrastructure is quite high already. If you compare it with other countries in the region, it has the most developed and integrated infrastructure, especially from a transport and logistics point of view, from air, roads, ports, airports, metro and rail.”
Saidi said that high-quality infrastructure in hotels and conference centers have made the UAE a leader in the region.
In spite of falling oil prices since mid-2014 affecting GCC economies, mega-projects will ensure that the UAE continues to be a leading destination for tourists, according to a report by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The report predicted that the UAE economy would return to long-term growth in 2018 and beyond, due to a diversification of the government’s sources of income.
The Dubai Creek Tower, expected to be a notch higher than Burj Khalifa in the Dubai Creek Harbor, is planned to be the tallest tower in the city. New attractions, theme parks and shopping malls would boost tourism in the future and pave the way for the country to potentially host international events, including the World Cup and the Olympics.
Tourism is geared up to be the main source of economy for Dubai. Dubai Square, a new retail area in Dubai Creek Harbor, aims to reach almost more than twice the size of Dubai Mall, at 8.07 million square feet of gross floor retail space.
Hence, there is huge tourism potential in the UAE. Expo 2020 Dubai also promises a major favorable impact on the economy.
Tags: Tourist Destination
