Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) gathered more than 1,200 industry stakeholders on 9 December for its second and final City Briefing of 2025, outlining progress across the tourism economy and plans to support another year of growth.

The event, held at Global Village courtesy of Dubai Holding Entertainment, brought together players from hospitality, aviation, retail and F&B, along with government representatives and media. DET used the session to underline the importance of public and private sector coordination in meeting the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.

In the presence of Helal Saeed Almarri, DG of DET, Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, opened the briefing with an update on performance and Dubai’s strategy for 2026.

Dubai welcomed 18.72 million international overnight visitors in 2024, a record high, and continued its momentum in 2025 with 15.70 million visitors from January to October, a rise of 5 per cent year on year.

Hotels posted an average occupancy of 79.4 per cent, compared to 77 per cent in the same period last year. The average daily rate increased 6 per cent to Dhs531 and revenue per available room reached Dhs421, up 9 per cent.

The city had 152,875 rooms across 820 establishments at the end of October.

Kazim said Dubai’s progress reflected collaboration, innovation and sustained investment. He highlighted diversification in source markets, year-round global campaigns and a growing focus on sustainability and accessibility. DET would continue expanding digital platforms, developing new experiences and strengthening Dubai’s position as a place to visit, live and work, he said.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said the city’s events calendar remained central to its appeal. He pointed to the Dubai Fitness Challenge, which has become a large community movement, and the ongoing Dubai Shopping Festival, which is set to celebrate its tenth retail calendar edition in 2026.

Major announcements this year by Dubai’s DET

A major announcement during the briefing was the Hotel Incentive Programme, launched in October to support development in future high growth zones including Dubai South, Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Parks and Dubai Islands. Investors in new hotels, resorts and hotel apartments in these areas will receive a full reimbursement of the Dubai Municipality fee on room sales and the Tourism Dirham for two years after opening.

DET also highlighted upcoming openings such as Ciel Dubai Marina, billed as the world’s tallest hotel, as well as the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, the wellbeing resort Therme Dubai, Dubai Museum of Art, Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Square Mall and the expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport. Infrastructure projects include the Dubai Metro Blue Line, 226 km of new roads and 115 bridges and tunnels, and extensive upgrades to walking routes as part of the Dubai Walk Master Plan.

Several institutions celebrated milestones, including the Dubai International Financial Centre at 20 years, Global Village at 30 editions, The Emirates Group at 40 years, Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai at 20 years, Dubai Design District at its 10th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of Jumeirah Burj Al Arab.

Ahead of 2026, Dubai is preparing for the 30th Dubai World Cup and the 10th Dubai Fitness Challenge.

Ramadan in 2026 was another focal point, with DET outlining plans to balance Dubai’s openness to international visitors with cultural immersion and heritage experiences. Strong forward hotel bookings suggest confidence among travellers.

DET also reviewed global recognition, including Lonely Planet naming food tours in Old Dubai as one of the top travel experiences for 2026, and the 2025 MICHELIN Guide Dubai listing 119 restaurants across 35 cuisines. The city is now home to two three star MICHELIN restaurants, FZN by Björn Frantzén and Trèsind Studio, the first Indian restaurant worldwide to receive three stars.

Updates on global campaigns were also shared, with DET focusing on attracting winter travellers, engaging African audiences through influencers, targeting peak booking windows in Japan and rolling out digital first content for China and the Asia Pacific region.

Sustainability took centre stage through the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp, aligned with the D33 Agenda and UAE Net Zero 2050. More than 60 per cent of reef modules for DUBAI REEF have been fabricated and over 35 per cent deployed, supporting marine habitats. DET also reaffirmed its push to strengthen accessibility after Dubai became the first Certified Autism Destination in the Eastern Hemisphere earlier this year.

Community engagement continues through the #MyDubai initiative, which has engaged more than 1,500 advocates with a reach of over 3.1 million. The #MyDubai Communities platform, launched earlier this year, now features 130 interest-based groups attracting thousands of followers.

Al Khaja reported record participation in the latest Dubai Fitness Challenge, with more than three million residents and visitors taking part. He noted the Dubai Shopping Festival, which runs until January 11, remains a key driver in the retail calendar.

Fireside chat

In a fireside chat, Beautiful Destinations CEO Jeremy Jauncey joined DET’s Aida Al Busaidy to discuss the launch of the Beautiful Destinations Academy, a professional training programme for global content creators based in Dubai. The academy supports the D33 vision by introducing formal standards for the creator economy.

A separate panel with DET’s Issam Kazim, Emirates’ deputy president and CCO Adnan Kazim and Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths examined Dubai’s aviation growth. The discussion covered plans to streamline passenger journeys, operational priorities at Dubai International Airport and the long term role of Al Maktoum International Airport in expanding capacity as Dubai positions itself as the world’s largest aviation hub.

Kazim closed the session by pointing to the strong pipeline of new attractions and the city’s busy events calendar. He said continued collaboration across sectors would be central to sustaining momentum through 2026 and beyond.

An Air India investigation into why one of its Airbus planes conducted eight commercial flights without an airworthiness permit found “systemic failures”, with the airline admitting it needed to do better on compliance, a company document showed.

An Airbus A320 flew passengers between New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad on November 24 to 25 without the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate, or ARC, a key permit issued annually by the regulator after a plane passes safety and compliance checks, according to the document.

Air India found engineers and pilots had failed to check the aircraft’s documents and that changes were needed to bolster compliance protocols, it said.

Read more-Air India crash: How will it challenge the airline’s ‘world class’ ambitions

“Critical information was not shared with all relevant stakeholders, and opportunities for timely intervention were missed,” said the internal investigation report, which was reviewed by Reuters.

“The incident highlights the need for urgent improvements in process discipline, communication, and compliance culture,” added the report, which was dated December 6.

The findings, with a cover letter signed by COO Captain Basil Kwauk, have been submitted to Indian aviation authorities, but have not been made public.

The report is a stark admission from an airline that suffered its worst disaster when a Boeing Dreamliner crashed moments after take-off in June killing 260 people. Air India has also received warnings from the watchdog for running planes without checking emergency equipment, not changing engine parts on time and forging records to show compliance, as well as other audit lapses.

Air India last week called the Airbus November incident “regrettable” and said that some people had been suspended, while India’s civil aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), ordered the aircraft to be grounded and called for an investigation.

Air India, which is owned by India’s Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, said in a statement to Reuters it had proactively reported the incident to the DGCA and had “implemented immediate measures to prevent similar instances”, adding it would continue to strengthen its compliance systems.

The DGCA and Airbus did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Pilots warned to be careful

India’s aviation sector is going through a tumultuous phase. Market leader IndiGo last week cancelled thousands of flights, disrupting air travel across the nation, and triggering debate over IndiGo and Air India’s grip on the sector with over 90 per cent market share between them.

An ARC violation can attract a penalty of up to INR10m ($111,201).

The certificate is issued annually for commercial aircraft after a comprehensive review and verification of their compliance with airworthiness standards, according to the DGCA.

It is typically issued after DGCA officials conduct a physical inspection, which includes interior and exterior checks ranging from medical kits on board to tyre condition.

Air India’s investigation found that the A320, registered as VT-TQN, flew eight passenger flights and one test flight with an expired ARC due to the “convergence of multiple latent organisational and process deficiencies”, the report said.

It found both the plane’s engines were changed and it was released for the test flight on November 24 without the required special flight permit, because the aircraft maintenance engineer “failed to check the onboard documents”.

Further checks on passenger flights were also missed, added the report, which was drafted after interviewing employees and reviewing internal evidence.

The Air India investigation also blamed pilots, saying those who flew the eight flights did not comply with standard operating procedures before taking off.

On December 1, Air India’s Director Flight Operations, Manish Uppal, reminded all pilots via an internal email to check paperwork before every flight, including navigation charts, cargo manifest and the ARC, the report said.

“Non-adherence to company policy or SOPs will be viewed seriously and may attract action,” the email said.

The Air India investigation report added the airline now aims to foster a compliance-focused culture, “where regulatory compliance is prioritised over operational expediency”.

Paramount Skydance’s addition of three Gulf sovereign wealth funds to the cast of its $108bn hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery WBD.O marks a relatively rare alliance among the states as they build their own entertainment industries.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF,) Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding Company, and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) have agreed to back the deal, Paramount PSKY.O said on Monday.

Paramount also has backing from Affinity Partners, started by Jared Kushner, which has investments from funds in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The decision to join forces on a single bid and grab a share of some of Hollywood’s crown jewels underscores an appetite among the oil-dependent Gulf states for assets from production to content and their growing clout in global dealmaking.

“A joint three-way alliance is very unusual, but it allows the three countries to step outside their regional media empires and brings them straight into the media big league,” said Neil Quilliam, partner at Azure Strategy in London.

Read: What Netflix vs Paramount’s $100bn clash means for Gulf media, licensing and content access

It also fits with their “joint aspirations to become global influencers and to shape new media narratives”, he added.

PIF, the Abu Dhabi government on behalf of L’imad and the QIA, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Gulf sovereign funds have previously invested in the same companies, but have rarely joined forces on a single takeover.

For example, Mubadala and PIF invested in India’s Reliance Retail in 2020, and were joined by the QIA and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in 2023.

The deal size may have driven the need for several funds, said one banker from the region who is not involved, adding that it was unusual for Gulf SWFs to participate in hostile bids.

Because the investors will not have governance rights, including board seats or voting rights, their involvement will not require sign off by the US Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS), Paramount said in a filing.

From courting filmmakers to opening theme parks and cinemas, Gulf states are keen to expand their own entertainment sectors.

“This is a strategic and high-priority investment space for Gulf sovereign and other investors,” said Robert Mogielnicki, a political economist specializing in the Middle East.

“The acquisition would give them ownership of some of the world’s most iconic shows and access to a whole new audience,” said Quilliam.

Universal Pictures’ 2015 release Furious 7 was filmed in Abu Dhabi including its stars walking down the steps of the Emirates Palace to sports cars racing through its Liwa Desert.

In September, PIF bought a majority stake in Saudi media giant MBC 40.72.SE, which operates 13 free-to-air TV channels and runs the streaming-platform Shahid, known as the Netflix of the Middle East.

In the same month, an investor group led by PIF agreed to buy videogame developer Electronic Arts EA.O in a $55bn deal – the largest leveraged buyout in history – underscoring ambitions to make Saudi Arabia a global games and sports hub.

In 2018, it agreed to allow the first cinemas to open in 35 years, striking a deal with AMC Entertainment AMC.N.

Hollywood-backed theme parks are also popping up in the region. In May, Walt Disney DIS.N announced plans for its first in the Middle East, joining nearby Warner Bros World Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also made large investment commitments to the United States this year, deepening ties to the Trump administration.

Saudi Arabia has committed to investing $1tr following crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent visit to Washington, up from the $600bn previously.

Abu Dhabi has pledged $1.4tr for U.S. investments, while Qatar plans $500bn over the next decade.

The Dubai Land Department (DLD), in partnership with Dubai Holding Community Management, has approved the emirate’s first-ever three-year fixed service fees for the Palm Jumeirah Master community—a move aimed at strengthening financial stability and transparency across jointly owned properties (JOPs).

Under the new mechanism, management companies of JOPs can now submit and secure approval for a three-year service-fee budget through the ‘Mollak’ system, while still retaining the option to continue with the traditional one-year model. The initiative is designed to provide greater predictability for owners and investors and enable management firms to engage in longer-term operational contracts with service providers.

DLD said the shift to multi-year budgeting represents a strategic milestone for the Jointly Owned Property Management Department, supporting the maturation of the Mollak system and advancing Dubai’s broader agenda for stronger community governance and real estate market stability. By enabling more sustainable financial planning, the model is expected to enhance operational efficiency, data reliability and long-term decision-making across communities.

The updated Mollak framework also introduces deeper digital data integration and simplified documentation processes, improving oversight and reducing turnaround times for stakeholders.

Eng. Abdullah Ahmed Al Shehhi, CEO of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency at Dubai Land Department, confirmed that the new mechanism has been implemented for the first time in collaboration with Dubai Holding Community Management, with the Palm Jumeirah Master community becoming the first project to have its budget approved under the advanced model.

He said: “All community management companies across Dubai can use this new mechanism, which supporting long-term financial planning and enhancing the stability of service fees. This step forms part of RERA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen transparency, improve the efficiency of community management, and elevate the quality of services provided to residents, owners, and investors across the emirate.”

The announcement came during a workshop hosted jointly with Dubai Holding Community Management, where updates related to multi-year financial planning and community management enhancements were presented. During the session, Francis Giani, chief community management officer at Dubai Holding Community Management, highlighted key milestones across the organisation’s residential portfolio.

Giani said: “This milestone will significantly enhance our strategic planning capabilities, allowing us to approach future initiatives with greater foresight and clarity. Anchored in this renewed framework, we are committed to implementing meaningful, long-term enhancements that enrich the community experience and deliver enduring value to our residents at the Palm Jumeirah and beyond.”

DLD said the new mechanism reinforces its commitment to modernising real estate governance systems, strengthening customer confidence, and supporting Dubai’s vision to deliver world-class community living environments through more efficient and innovative regulatory frameworks.

State energy major Saudi Aramco 2222.SE plans to start exporting the first condensate produced from the Jafurah gas plant in February, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.

The $100bn Jafurah project, estimated to contain 229 trillion standard cubic feet of raw gas and 75 billion barrels of condensate, is central to Aramco’s ambitions to become a major global natural gas player and boost its gas production capacity.

Its first phase started production early this month, the Saudi finance ministry said.

Aramco could export four to six 500,000-barrel cargoes of Jafurah condensate per month, one of the sources said, without giving a timeline. The other source said the condensate is being sold through private negotiations.

A third source said Aramco may provide samples to buyers by the end of the month. Aramco has declined to comment.

Condensate is a non-gas liquid that can be processed at splitters to produce petrochemical feedstock naphtha and other refined products, or can be blended with crude oil to be distilled at refineries.

The condensate has an API gravity of 49.7 degrees and contains about 0.17 per cent sulphur, according to a preliminary crude assay reviewed by Reuters.

About 40 per cent of its yield is petrochemical feedstock naphtha, mainly the heavier grade, while most of the rest of the output is gasoil and kerosene, the assay shows.

“The uncertainty now is how much would come out to the market in the next 6 to 12 months, and this appears to be a grade that would compete with heavier condensates and ultra-light crudes,” Armaan Ashraf, global head of NGLs at consultancy FGE, said.

Jafurah’s gas output will be used for domestic power generation, freeing up crude for export that is currently used for power in the kingdom.

Aramco has said its unconventional gas programme at peak production is expected to generate electricity equivalent to displacing 500,000 barrels per day of oil.

Ashraf said Jafurah is positioned as a gas project, so it should not be counted in Saudi Arabia’s OPEC output quota.

This year Saudi Aramco has lifted exports of Khuff condensate produced in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia to 49,000 bpd, a jump from 18,000 bpd in 2024, data from analytics firm Kpler shows.