Hotel occupancy in Dubai reached more than 81 per cent in the first half of 2025, marking a 4.5 per cent year-on-year rise, according to new research from real estate advisory firm Cavendish Maxwell. The emirate also welcomed nearly 10 million international visitors during the period, up 6.1 per cent compared to the same time last year.

Cavendish Maxwell’s H1 2025 hospitality sector performance report shows the average daily rate (ADR) across Dubai hotels and resorts climbed 5.5 per cent year-on-year to AED745. With the peak tourism season approaching, 19 new hotels with over 5,000 rooms are set to open by the end of 2025, bringing Dubai’s total hotel inventory to 157,144 keys across 748 properties. Almost 900 rooms across five hotels were delivered in the first half of the year.

Vidhi Shah, director, head of commercial valuation at Cavendish Maxwell, said: “The first half of this year has seen yet another outstanding performance from Dubai’s hospitality sector, which continues to lead the way in setting new benchmarks in safety, inclusivity and connectivity. Government initiatives, strategic international partnerships, a packed events calendar and new attractions, coupled with sustained ability to attract diverse visitor profiles while consistently elevating guests’ experiences, has led to growth in airport passenger traffic, tourist figures, hotel occupancy rates, ADR levels and overall hotel inventory. With 5,000 new rooms on the way this year – and another 6,000 in 2026 and 2027 – Dubai is set to remain and premium, global destination of choice for both leisure and business travellers.”

Key findings from Cavendish Maxwell’s report

• Dubai’s hotel inventory has grown from 670 establishments in 2021 to about 730 in 2025 – an increase of 9.3 per cent.

• The number of hotel keys has risen nearly 11 per cent over the same period, from 137,600 to 152,000.

• Dubai International Airport handled 46 million passengers in H1 2025, a 2.3 per cent increase year-on-year, despite temporary airspace disruption in May and June. Passenger traffic at Dubai World Central rose more than 36 per cent.

• Around 67 per cent of Dubai’s hotel inventory is in the luxury, upper upscale, or upscale categories, with 33 per cent in Upper Midscale, Midscale, or Economy segments.

• In 2025, 84 per cent of new hotels are in premium categories.

• Occupancy rose across all segments, with upscale hotels recording the highest increase at 5.5 per cent.

• ADRs grew across all segments, with Upper Midscale properties leading at 8.5 per cent.

• Of the 9.9 million visitors in H1, Western Europe was the largest source market, accounting for over 21 per cent of arrivals – a 12 per cent increase year-on-year.

Market outlook: Upscale growth and Luxury dominance ahead

Of the 5,000 rooms scheduled for delivery by year-end, 30.4 per cent are in the Upscale category, 29.8 per cent in Upper Upscale, and 24.25 per cent in Luxury. Key projects include the 259-key Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Anantara Seven City at Jumeirah Lakes Towers (78 keys), and Jumeirah Living Business Bay (82 keys). Looking ahead, Luxury will dominate the 2026 pipeline, accounting for 61 per cent of new supply, with major developments such as Ciel Dubai Marina, Dorchester Collection Ela by Omniyat, and InterContinental Portofino.

Midrange categories (Upper Midscale, Midscale, and Economy) will collectively make up 15 per cent of new supply in 2025 and just 7.6 per cent in 2026.

Beyond Dubai: Hospitality growth across the UAE

Hospitality performance was strong across other emirates in H1 2025. Abu Dhabi’s city hotels saw ADRs rise more than 28 per cent, while resorts increased over 21 per cent, supported by demand for luxury, beach, and wellness tourism. Ras Al Khaimah recorded a 7.6 per cent ADR rise and welcomed 653,000 visitors, up 5.7 per cent year-on-year. Fujairah ADRs climbed 6.1 per cent, underpinned by coastal and boutique resort demand.

Read: UAE hotels reach 70% occupancy: What’s behind the surge?

Occupancy at Abu Dhabi resorts rose 7.5 per cent, while city hotels grew 1.1 per cent, supported by a 13 per cent rise in passenger traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport, which handled 15.8 million passengers in H1. RAK occupancy increased 1.4 per cent, while Fujairah maintained stable rates, supported by new direct flights and UNWTO-backed adventure tourism initiatives.

WHX Tech, the inaugural global meeting point for digital health leaders, innovators, investors, and policymakers, opens its doors today (8 September 2025) at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Organised by Informa in partnership with HIMSS, the three-day event promises to showcase how AI, connected care, and emerging technologies are reshaping healthcare delivery and innovation.

With more than 300 brands on the exhibition floor and over 200 expert speakers confirmed, WHX Tech will deliver insights across three dedicated stages — World X, Xcelerate, and Future X. Day one is set to offer a strong start with high-level keynotes, expert discussions, and the launch of one of the region’s most anticipated startup competitions.

As part of the opening ceremony, H.E. Dr Amin Al Ameeri, assistant undersecretary of health regulations sector at the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), delivered a welcome address, followed by Peter Hall, president IMEA at Informa, who introduced the goals of the World X Stage and highlighted the importance of collaboration in driving digital health innovation; Dr Amer Sharif, CEO of Dubai Health, then gave an inaugural keynote on “Future-Proofing Healthcare – Building a Healthier World for Tomorrow,” followed by a keynote from H.E. Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, director general of the Emirates Drug Establishment, with Hal Wolf, president of HIMSS, concluding the session with a keynote titled “Digital Health Has a New Power Center: Why All Eyes Are on the Middle East.”

World X stage: Setting the agenda

The event opens with a ceremony that will set the tone for WHX Tech’s ambitions as a platform to accelerate digital health adoption. A key session will focus on the role of health informatics and data in advancing healthcare in the region. Dr. Mohammad Al Redha, director of Health Informatics & Smart Health at the Dubai Health Authority, will lead the conversation, joined by moderator Dr. David Rhew, global chief medical officer and VP of Healthcare at Microsoft.

Xcelerate stage: Spotlight on startups

Day one will also see the Xcelerate startup competition kick off, featuring more than 40 startups competing for a $50,000 cash prize. Beyond the pitch stage, entrepreneurs and investors will engage in practical discussions on scaling businesses post-investment.

• You’ve Acquired Funding, Now What? will feature Vusi Thembekwayo, group CEO of MyGrowthFund Venture Partners, exploring how founders can turn new capital into a 12-month growth roadmap, while avoiding common post-funding pitfalls.

• CVC’s Role in Fostering Innovation in Healthcare will open up the boardroom of corporate venture capital, with Dr. Susan Amat, CEO of Venture Hive, and Scott Lenet, partner at Cerity Partners, unpacking deal structures, founder autonomy, and the strategic versus financial value of CVCs.

Future X stage: Innovations in longevity

On the Future X stage, the spotlight turns to consumer-facing technologies with the potential to transform ageing and longevity. Dr. Richard Siow, director of Ageing Research at King’s College London, will discuss digital biomarkers of ageing and how scalable technologies can support lifestyle interventions and disease prevention.

A launchpad for healthcare transformation

By convening global leaders, disruptive startups, and capital providers under one roof, WHX Tech aims to accelerate collaboration and inspire solutions that will define the next generation of healthcare. Day one’s sessions offer a strong mix of regional priorities, investor insights, and breakthrough science — setting the stage for three days of high-impact dialogue and innovation.

To register, click here.

Two major subsea cables were damaged near Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, disrupting internet connectivity across the Middle East, South Asia and parts of Africa.

Global internet observatory NetBlocks confirmed failures affecting the SEA-ME-WE 4 (SMW4) and IMEWE cable systems, two critical links in the region’s digital infrastructure. The incident forced operators to reroute traffic through alternative paths, leading to widespread slowdowns.

In the UAE, customers of Etisalat by e& and du reported difficulties loading websites, streaming video and using messaging apps. Complaints surged on outage tracker Downdetector, peaking at around 9pm on Saturday.

Read more – Internet slowdown: Why the Red Sea’s SMW4 and IMEWE cables matter

Cloudflare Radar data confirmed shifts in internet routing during the incident, which impacted international traffic. Microsoft also warned that its Azure cloud customers could experience increased latency for traffic passing through the Middle East, particularly on routes linking Asia and Europe.

“Undersea fibre cuts can take time to repair; as such, we will continuously monitor, rebalance, and optimise routing to reduce customer impact,” Microsoft said.

Key data corridor

The Red Sea is a vital global data corridor, carrying around 17 per cent of the world’s internet traffic, according to telecom research firm TeleGeography. A dense web of fibre-optic cables runs through the Red Sea, Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea, with key landing points in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Djibouti.

Even localised damage can ripple out across continents, disrupting services such as cloud applications, financial platforms and airline systems that rely on real-time connectivity.

Past incidents have underscored the vulnerability of the region. In early 2024, three cables were cut after a vessel struck by Houthi rebels drifted and dropped anchor in the Red Sea, causing weeks of service disruption.

Analysts say the region’s shallow waters, heavy shipping traffic and geopolitical tensions make it especially prone to both accidental and deliberate damage.

Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd confirmed a reduction in capacity and said it had arranged alternative bandwidth to mitigate the impact. Similar disruptions were reported in Kuwait, where authorities said the FALCON GCX cable had also been damaged.

Fixing undersea cables is a complex, costly process requiring specialised vessels, trained crews and favourable weather conditions. The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) estimates repairs can cost between $1m and $3m per incident.

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (du) has launched a secondary public offering of shares held by Mamoura Diversified Global Holding (Mamoura), a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, in a move that will boost its free float and trading liquidity.

The transaction will see Mamoura sell up to 342,084,084 shares, representing 7.55 per cent of du’s share capital and 75 per cent of its stake in the company, du said in a statement.

The price range has been set at between Dhs9 and Dhs9.90 per share, with the final offer price to be determined through a bookbuilding process and announced on September 15.

The offer will be split into two tranches: a retail offering in the UAE comprising 5 per cent of the shares, and a global institutional offering covering the remaining 95 per cent.

The company will not receive proceeds from the transaction as all shares are being sold by Mamoura.

Shares that are not sold will be subject to a 90-day lock-up period, du said.

du CEO says offering will expand investor base

Fahad Al Hassawi, du’s chief executive, said the offering would broaden the investor base and stimulate liquidity, supporting potential inclusion in international indices.

Dr Bakheet Al Katheeri, chief executive of Mubadala’s UAE Investment Platform, said the deal marks a “milestone for UAE capital markets” and allows Mubadala to redeploy capital while supporting du’s next growth phase.

The subscription period for the UAE retail offer opens on September 8 and closes on September 12, with investors required to apply through receiving banks or Dubai Financial Market (DFM) channels.

Each retail investor will be guaranteed a minimum allocation of up to 500 shares.

Settlement for institutional investors is expected on September 18, with shares available for trading on the DFM from September 16.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Goldman Sachs are joint global coordinators and bookrunners for the offering. Emirates NBD is the lead receiving bank.

In a move designed to better accommodate students, early-shift workers, and morning commuters, Riyadh Metro will now start daily operations at 5:30am, the city’s public transport authority has confirmed.

This schedule adjustment comes in direct response to growing commuter demand and is aimed at reducing congestion during peak hours, particularly on busy corridors.

Officials stated that the change is also part of Riyadh’s broader push to cut private vehicle use and improve air quality, a Saudi Gazette report said.

Read more-Riyadh Metro: 5 ways it will boost transport in Saudi’s biggest city

The move supports Riyadh’s ongoing strategy to expand and modernise its public transit network in line with the capital’s sustainability and quality-of-life objectives.

100 million passengers since December launch

The new operating hours follow an impressive milestone: Riyadh Metro has served over 100 million passengers since it launched in December 2024, according to the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC).

According to a Saudi Press Agency report, This achievement was reached in less than nine months, highlighting the rapid adoption and popularity of the metro system. The Blue Line, which runs along the Olaya-Batha corridor, saw the highest ridership with 46.5 million passengers, followed by the Red Line on King Abdullah Road with 17 million and the Orange Line on Al Madinah Al Munawwarah Road with 12 million. The other three lines together transported 24.5 million riders.

Punctual and popular

Riyadh Metro has also earned praise for its punctuality, recording an operational on-time rate of 99.78 per cent. Some of the busiest stations include Qasr Al Hokm, KAFD, stc, and the National Museum, which together accounted for over 29 per cent of total passenger traffic.

Seamlessly connected to a wide-reaching bus network, on-demand shuttles, and public transport parking facilities, the metro is a key part of Riyadh’s vision for a modern, accessible, and eco-friendly transportation ecosystem. Authorities say these efforts aim to provide convenient, reliable alternatives to private car use for both residents and visitors.