Dubai’s tourism sector heads into the final months of 2026 on a rising curve. The emirate welcomed around 869,000 international overnight visitors in August, its highest monthly total since February. That took international visitation to 6.97 million for the first eight months of the year, according to the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Hotel occupancy reached 66 per cent in August, and hotels recorded 21.61 million occupied room nights between January and August.

The visitor base held its shape. Western Europe accounted for 20 per cent of arrivals in the first eight months, South Asia for 17 per cent, the GCC for 16 per cent, and CIS and Eastern Europe for 14 per cent. DET kept up its trade engagement, roadshows and campaigns in source markets. Closer to home, its resident-focused A Dubai Invite initiative drew more than 90,000 applications.

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 was a chance to show that the whole system was back at work. DET’s Dubai stand carried more than 115 co-exhibitors from the public and private sectors. Hotels, destination management companies and tour operators shared the space with government entities such as the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Dubai Municipality. The department also hosted more than 300 travel trade professionals and over 40 trade media representatives from 40 countries.

The national picture is changing too. At the same show, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism launched Visit UAE, the country’s first unified national tourism identity at the federal level. Alongside it came the UAE Grand Tour, which offers multi-emirate itineraries of up to 14 days across all seven emirates.

On the sidelines of ATM, Gulf Business sat down with Hoor Al Khaja, SVP, International Operations at the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), which is part of DET. They talked about what drove the recovery and where Dubai goes next. Here are excerpts from the chat.

Dubai welcomed 869,000 international overnight visitors in August, taking the first eight months of the year to 6.97 million. What drove that recovery?
First and foremost, starting in March, it was the extremely fast response and the alignment between government and the private sector. Dubai has always been good at this. It is one of our strengths: the government stays in touch with the private sector, and private-sector needs are put first when it comes to policymaking and decisions.

Around the second week of March, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, convened a majlis with the business community. He usually holds one a year, but this was not the routine majlis. It aimed to bring everyone to the table to discuss the situation.

That is just one example. At other levels, HE Helal Almarri, the DG of Dubai’s DET, was meeting hotel groups and airlines. We started talking to international trade partners immediately, because they had concerns about their travellers and their contracts.

Those rapid responses, and then quickly deploying policy levers based on the feedback, create an active feedback loop. Things can be set in motion very quickly in a city like Dubai, and then you see the action.

We have always had that strategy, but it continues to bear fruit. Now we are moving forward towards our D33 vision. As the Minister of Economy said at ATM, we are now on an acceleration path.

How do you see government support for tourism and hospitality evolving as Dubai heads into the winter season?
I don’t think there is a one-size-fits-all model. Support comes in as and when it is needed, based on feedback from the sector.

The government as a whole launched two incentive packages. They were there to support not just tourism but all the sectors that were affected, and to make sure businesses had the liquidity to keep going.

I am not going to speak on behalf of the wider government about what is to come. But naturally, things will be assessed based on where we are, and policies will be drafted accordingly.

Dubai approved an initial Dhs1bn economic incentives package in late March, followed by a second Dhs1.5bn package in May, bringing the total to Dhs2.5bn. The measures included support for tourism, hospitality, events and other sectors.

A Dubai Invite was a very different campaign for DET. How did it work, and what else has the department been doing?
When March came, we obviously had to recalibrate. But very quickly afterwards, as Emirates and flydubai ramped up capacity and travel advisories eased in market after market, we went live again, depending on the status of each market.

We had teams on the ground running events and meeting the travel trade. We had influencers coming in from different markets, and PR stayed very active. Everything was tailored to each market’s situation: was there an advisory, were flights coming in? The campaigns did not stop.

A Dubai Invite was different from what we usually do. I always tell friends and family that they don’t see most of our work, because it is aimed at international markets. This campaign focused on residents as ambassadors for the city, so it was very visible here, and it was innovative.

What we saw was that some of our biggest advocates were residents. They spoke for the city perhaps even better than we could have ourselves. So the idea was to reward them, and to use that strength. We are a city of more than 200 nationalities, and we are very proud of that multicultural fabric. At times of uncertainty, the people most likely to visit are those with friends or family here. They hear first-hand what the situation on the ground is.

Residents who nominated friends and family to visit were eligible for around Dhs3,000 worth of benefits from sponsors, including hotels and restaurant vouchers.

We set ourselves an internal target and exceeded it, with around 90,000 applicants. Applications have now closed, but nominated visitors are still coming in. It is a win-win: the city wins, residents win, and their friends and relatives get to experience Dubai.

How are you strengthening Dubai’s position as a year-round destination?
We have been working towards that for years, and we already see ourselves as a year-round destination. It is just important to recognise that the summer proposition differs from the winter one.

In winter, we naturally focus more on outdoor adventures, activities and nature. There is still plenty to do in summer, but the proposition is more value-driven.

We have facilities for families, such as IMG, which is an indoor theme park, and our waterparks, so there is a mix for both seasons. They simply offer different value at different times of the year.

How closely does Dubai work with tourism authorities across the other emirates?
DCTCM and DET are very much part of the Visit UAE ecosystem, which is led by HE Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism. You could see the Visit UAE branding on our stand at ATM. The UAE Grand Tour has now been launched, and Dubai packages are very much part of those tours.

So we operate within a unified UAE ecosystem at the federal level, led by the minister and the ministry, while our day-to-day focus is on Dubai.

Anything that elevates the UAE elevates all of us together. Increased access is a plus for everyone, so we are very excited about it.

What are you seeing across Dubai’s source markets, and are new opportunities emerging?
What is really interesting to me, and maybe I didn’t expect it personally, is how well our diversified approach has held. We have maintained it from the beginning.

We are fortunate with the access Emirates and flydubai give us. Frankly, we fly everywhere, and that is what makes the model possible. We have teams spread across all our source markets.

We do not rely on one, two, 10 or even 20 source markets. At any given point, we are active in more than 80.

If you compare 2025 or 2024 with the first eight months of this year, the mix has not changed. Despite whatever structural barriers there may be, demand is still coming through from all of our source markets.

The mix is within roughly plus or minus 1 per cent. I find that very healthy, and it was a data point we were very proud of.

What has been the most important value for you and your teams during this period?
I’ll say the first thing that comes to mind: trust. Trust played a bigger role this year than anything else.

Trust in the leadership, trust in the government, trust in the city. That trust then trickles down from us: trust the teams, trust that everyone is making the right decisions. It runs from safety at the very top down to day-to-day calls. Is it the right time to go to this market? Is it the right time to run this activation? Should we do this?

There was a large degree of trust in each other, in our leaders and in what the city stands for. That gave us comfort when making decisions and going back to market.

You are not going to market something to external audiences if you don’t believe in it yourself. That was a core value that kept us going, and it still does, as we do everything we can to showcase Dubai for what it is.

Read: Visit UAE – The country launches a unified tourism identity, multi-emirate Grand Tour

Most food companies spend a good deal of money buying time. iD Fresh Food spends it racing against the clock. Its dosa batter, parotas and chapatis last four to seven days on the shelf, kept safe for up to 10 days by cold-chain packaging and little else. There are no sorbates, no emulsifiers and no warehouse of stock held back just in case.

That is an expensive way to run a food business, especially in the Gulf. The region is hot and relies on imports; refrigerated logistics are costly, and recent regional tensions, Musthafa says, tripled the company’s shipping bill. Even so, the UAE delivers close to a third of iD’s global sales and doubles as its test kitchen. A Za’atar Parota reached UAE shelves this month, and a Peri Peri Parota, already sold in India, is next.

Musthafa’s answer to the logistics problem is to build closer to the customer. A second UAE factory, in Sharjah, is due by the end of the year, joining the existing plant in Ajman. His answer to sceptical shoppers was more theatrical: a 30-minute polygraph test at an IIM Bangalore alumni conclave, in front of more than 1,000 business leaders, investors and students, on whether his products contain only what the label says.

Here, he tells Gulf Business how settled expat families have changed the market, why his real competitor is the grinder at home, and what it costs to keep food honest at scale.

How have Gulf consumers’ buying habits changed over the past five years when it comes to fresh and packaged foods?
Five years ago, a very long shelf life was universally seen by consumers as a convenience. Today, Gulf shoppers have become discerning and health-conscious, actively scrutinising the length of ingredient lists, checking if the components are actually recognisable, and calling out hidden preservatives, emulsifiers, synthetic stabilisers and added sugars. They are realising that real food should naturally be perishable.

Furthermore, the GCC has proven to be a much easier market to penetrate for fresh packaged products. A staggering two-thirds of the relevant consumer base in the UAE are completely open to purchasing fresh, packaged batter from retail shelves, showing an exceptional regional willingness to pay a premium for clean-label convenience.

Are consumers today paying closer attention to ingredient labels, preservatives and shelf life? How has this influenced iD Fresh Food’s product strategy?
Yes, consumers are reading labels far more closely, questioning artificial ingredients, and prioritising overall wellbeing over slick marketing claims. This shift has directly validated and reinforced our core product strategy, which is built on a model of zero preservatives, zero chemicals, zero shortcuts and zero inventory.

Our food is consumed daily; it is what represents main meals in an average consumer’s home. So we are highly sensitive to what goes into our offerings. Our strategy is to innovate and protect freshness naturally. Instead of using inexpensive synthetic preservatives like nitrites, nitrates or sorbates to keep products stable for months, we accept a short, natural shelf life of just four to seven days. We maintain food safety for up to seven to ten days solely through cold-chain-compatible packaging and strict logistics.

To avoid hidden additives, we work closely with our vendors to customise basic ingredients like flour, spices and oil to our exact, chemical-free standards. Most visibly, we took the bold step of moving our entire, minimal ingredient list to the absolute front of our packaging as a daily promise of transparency.

What makes the UAE a strategic growth market for iD Fresh Food, and how has consumer demand evolved here?
The UAE is the strategic hub for our international operations, contributing nearly a third of our global business. More than just a revenue driver, the UAE acts as our “live test market” and the ultimate global proving ground for modern retail. Its unique demographic landscape, a mix of affluent local Arabs, diverse multicultural expat communities and global tourists, heavily rewards brands that can balance global relevance with local familiarity.

Consumer demand in the UAE has evolved from a transient worker population to settled families who treat the region as home. These settled families demand absolute transparency about what goes into their children’s food.

We are currently growing our lead in UAE market share by approximately 500 basis points a year, and we expect the UAE and Saudi Arabia to contribute nearly 75 per cent of our GCC business in the coming years.

We refuse to use chemicals; our business relies on “conquering time”, and the UAE’s frictionless quick-commerce and digital logistics networks empower us to deliver everyday freshness at unprecedented speeds.

What is the biggest challenge in scaling a fresh and clean-label food business while maintaining quality, consistency and transparency?
As we often say, making fresh food is not the difficult part. Making it fresh every single day, at scale, without preservatives or shortcuts is the real challenge.

First, there is the logistical pressure of managing a highly perishable supply chain under a zero-inventory model. A short shelf life means there is zero room for delay. Any logistical bottleneck risks ruining the product, making our operations highly dependent on robust cold-chain infrastructure, which carries massive costs in a hot, import-reliant region like the Gulf.

Second, raw material integrity is incredibly difficult to maintain because basic agricultural ingredients are frequently treated with preservatives before they reach us, requiring relentless vendor auditing.

Finally, geopolitical volatility can severely shock supply chains; for example, recent regional tensions tripled our shipping costs.

Our non-negotiable response to logistics pressure is to build state-of-the-art manufacturing plants closer to our consumers, accelerating our local production footprint across the GCC to eliminate shipping delays.

As clean-label products gain momentum, is ingredient transparency becoming a competitive advantage rather than just a consumer expectation?
Trust is the ultimate currency in the food industry, and ingredient transparency has absolutely become one of our most powerful competitive advantages. For decades, families have been forced to act like grocery aisle detectives, squinting at fine print to decode complex chemical listings.

By moving our ingredient lists to the absolute front of our packaging, we turn transparency from a hidden detail into a visible brand promise.

However, transparency is only valuable when it is verifiable; otherwise, “clean label” risks becoming just another empty marketing buzzword. Our willingness to back up our packaging claims with radical, real-world proof, such as undergoing a live polygraph test to verify our zero-chemical claims under scientific scrutiny, sets a trust standard.

With competition growing in the fresh food category, what continues to differentiate iD Fresh Food from other packaged food brands?
Our core differentiator is that we refuse to view food through the lens of laboratory preservation. We make our food in a kitchen, not in a laboratory. Because we hold this line, our competition is not packaged food players. It is the grinders at home.

We operate as a “professional assistant” in the kitchen, not a replacement for home cooking. Our products are ready-to-cook, meaning we handle the labour-intensive, traditional preparation steps, like soaking, grinding and fermenting grains, so that busy families can still experience the pride and “joy of cooking” a fresh, hot meal at home.

Furthermore, our complete direct control over our manufacturing and cold-chain distribution, rather than handing logistics off to third-party retail partners, ensures that our zero-chemical, zero-preservative promise is preserved from our mixers to the dining table.

What are the next big opportunities you see for the fresh and convenience food industry in the UAE and the wider GCC?
Geographically, our biggest opportunity is setting up localised manufacturing units across key GCC markets. Establishing localised factories closer to our consumers allows us to maintain a highly efficient, perishable supply chain and safeguard our clean-label commitment without relying on chemical preservatives or long-distance shipping. This regional production model also enables us to cater directly to the diverse expat communities who are demanding fresh, convenient food options. We are also focused on expanding our direct distribution footprint to reach more neighbouring countries in the Gulf.

We see massive opportunities in functional health and regional customisation. We have launched a protein range in the GCC because we believe people shouldn’t have to change their daily diet to incorporate protein; they can enjoy it with their current comfort foods. This range includes our protein batter, which offers 15g of protein in two idlis, and our protein chapatis, delivering 11g of protein in two chapatis.

To cater directly to regional GCC tastes, we have just launched the Za’atar Parota; with plans to launch the Peri Peri Parotta within the next two months. Along with these, we have also launched fresh, clean-label tortillas, which are kept fresh and chilled rather than ambient and filled with chemical preservatives. Later this year, we will expand into a few other product categories that are traditionally known to be heavily loaded with preservatives, proving that everyday staples can be kept clean, fresh and natural.

How does iD Fresh Food balance preserving the authenticity of traditional recipes while adapting them for today’s fast-paced lifestyles?
We believe that preserving the authenticity of traditional recipes requires a tremendous amount of effort and scientific rigour. That is why we invest heavily in culinary R&D to identify traditional recipes and ensure our commercial production processes take them forward without any compromise in quality or taste.

Our R&D team spends months studying the exact preparation methods, natural fermentation cycles and temperature controls of home-cooked meals to understand their true culinary essence.

Our ready-to-eat sambar is a perfect example of this philosophy. Standard commercial practice would suggest using dehydrated powders, pre-made purées or chemical additives to simplify large-scale manufacturing and extend shelf life.

However, our R&D team spent months custom-engineering our cooking processes to retain natural texture and flavour. This is why, when you open a packet of our ready-to-eat sambar, it actually contains real, whole drumsticks, exactly the way it is prepared in traditional kitchens. We use technology to support the standards of a home kitchen, rather than taking shortcuts.

How has iD Fresh leveraged technology across manufacturing, supply chain, quality control and ensuring freshness at scale?
Scaling a zero-preservative food model across international borders requires a sophisticated, tech-enabled infrastructure. We have scaled our business by conceptualising our manufacturing plants as “giant home kitchens”.

We use advanced, custom-designed industrial equipment engineered to replicate traditional home cooking processes under clinical, medical-grade hygiene and food safety standards.

Across our supply chain, we use temperature-sensitive packaging and real-time cold-chain logistics to maintain a constant, chilled environment, which is the only way to safely preserve our four-to-seven-day products without chemical help.

Because we operate a zero-inventory model, we use data-driven demand forecasting to match daily production with retail demand, ensuring that we never overfill shelves, minimise food waste, and “conquer time” to deliver unmatched freshness every day.

In an era where consumer trust is paramount, what prompted you to take part in the lie detector test at IIM Bangalore, and how does it align with iD Fresh Food’s commitment to transparency?
We chose to undergo a live polygraph test because we believe that when you enter someone’s kitchen and feed their family, your honesty must be absolute.

Today’s consumers are highly sceptical of corporate marketing, and they have every right to be.

To prove that our clean-label promise is not just a marketing gimmick, I subjected myself to a live, 30-minute polygraph session before an audience of over 1,000 business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs. Strapped to a lie detector machine, I answered raw, unfiltered questions about our ingredients, supply chain and ethics.

This initiative perfectly aligns with our commitment to radical transparency. If we are clean and proud enough to put our minimal ingredient list on the physical front of our packaging, we must be clean enough to pass a scientific polygraph test. It shows our consumers that when we promise “zero chemicals and zero preservatives”, we stand by it with absolute personal and professional integrity.

Saudi Arabia has introduced tighter rules governing how Saudi employees are counted under the Nitaqat Saudisation program, while the General Directorate of Passports has clarified procedures for newly issued and renewed passports.

Under the mechanism finalised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development’s Qiwa platform, a Saudi employee must have no more than five employment contracts during the preceding 52 weeks to continue being counted as one Saudi employee in Nitaqat.

For an employee to qualify for counting under the program, the employment contract must be valid and registered with Qiwa. The employee must also have a total registered salary of at least SAR4,000 and must not be classified as a part-time employee or student, a Saudi Gazette report said.

Read more: Riyadh’s hospitality boom: Why the future of luxury is about more than hotels

Qiwa has separately clarified that a Saudi employee cannot be issued a new employment contract after entering into more than seven contracts during a 365-day period starting from the date of the first contract. An eighth contract cannot be issued until a full year has passed from the date of the first contract in the period in which the limit was exceeded.

The restriction had previously triggered a system message for employers stating: “No new employment contract is allowed for the Saudi employee.”

Saudi employees are also limited to two employment contracts at the same time. An employee holding two active contracts must terminate one before entering into another employment agreement.

Passport activation rules clarified

The Saudi Passports Directorate, meanwhile, said passports issued to citizens for the first time do not require activation.

Citizens renewing their passports, however, must have their previous passports checked and their new passports activated at a passport office, branch office or international port of entry. The directorate said neither procedure requires a prior appointment.

Citizens must present their previous passport and can verify the activation status of the new document through the Absher platform.

The directorate also reiterated that Saudi citizens can apply for passports electronically through Absher without visiting its offices.

Applicants can access the service by logging into Absher and selecting “My Services,” followed by “Passports” and “Issuance of Saudi Passport.” They can then submit the issuance request, select the validity period and delivery option, accept the required declarations, provide a delivery address, review the application and pay the applicable fees.

The two sets of measures affect separate areas of government services but share a common reliance on Saudi Arabia’s digital platforms, with Qiwa handling employment-contract records and Nitaqat calculations, while Absher provides citizens with electronic passport services.

The UAE is expected to see fair to partly cloudy conditions on Monday, with a chance of rain-producing clouds developing over eastern areas and fog or mist forming in some parts of the country overnight.

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) said Monday, September 28, would be influenced by weak surface pressure systems, along with an extension of a weak upper-air low-pressure system. uae weather

Rain possible in eastern areas

Weather conditions are forecast to remain generally fair to partly cloudy during the day, although convective clouds could develop over eastern areas in the afternoon. The clouds may bring rainfall in some locations. uae weather

Humidity is expected to rise overnight and into Tuesday morning, particularly over some coastal areas, increasing the likelihood of fog or mist.

Read more: Could the UAE see more rain? NCM issues El Niño clarification

Winds are forecast to be light to moderate, becoming fresh at times. Sea conditions are expected to remain slight in both the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea. uae weather

Temperatures will remain elevated, particularly in inland areas. Maximum temperatures are forecast to reach 41°C to 46°C in internal parts of the country, while coastal areas and islands could see highs of 36°C to 41°C.

Mountainous areas are expected to be cooler, with temperatures ranging from 29°C to 35°C.

Relative humidity could reach 70 to 90 per cent across coastal, island and internal areas.

NCM issues driving guidance

With fog and mist possible, the NCM has urged motorists to take additional care when driving in conditions of reduced visibility.

The authority advised drivers to reduce their speed gradually and keep monitoring their speed, while maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.

Motorists have also been told to avoid overtaking and sudden lane changes when driving through foggy conditions.

The NCM advised drivers to use low-beam headlights and follow road lines when visibility is restricted. It also urged the public to rely on official NCM reports and avoid circulating rumours.

Fog and rain chances continue

The unsettled pattern is expected to continue through the middle of the week.

On Tuesday, September 29, humidity is forecast to increase overnight and into Wednesday morning across some coastal and internal areas, bringing another possibility of fog or mist. Convective clouds may develop over eastern areas during the afternoon and could again produce rainfall. uae weather

Wednesday is expected to be fair to partly cloudy, with clouds developing over eastern areas. Humidity overnight and into Thursday morning could again lead to fog or mist in some coastal and internal locations. uae weather

Similar conditions are forecast on Thursday, with fair to partly cloudy skies and the possibility of fog or mist over some western coastal and internal areas overnight and into Friday morning.

By Friday, the UAE is expected to remain under fair to partly cloudy conditions, with clouds continuing to develop over eastern areas.

After 50 years in the UAE, Rakbank is entering its next chapter with a new brand identity that reflects how the bank has evolved and where it sees banking heading next.

The rebrand goes beyond a refreshed logo. It reflects Rakbank’s ambition to combine the speed and convenience of digital banking with the trust, expertise and relationships that have shaped the bank since it was established as a community bank in 1976.

The approach is captured in its central proposition: Digital with a Human Touch.

For group CEO Raheel Ahmed, the distinction is important. As technology becomes increasingly embedded in financial services, customers should not have to choose between digital efficiency and human connection. “Technology gives speed, but people give confidence,” Ahmed says.

That balance is becoming increasingly relevant across the UAE’s banking sector. Digital-first experiences are now expected, and the focus for banks is shifting towards how technology can strengthen customer relationships, rather than simply reduce the need for them.

Rakbank has already invested heavily in that transformation. Its mobile and digital platforms have recorded more than 50 million logins, while rai, its in-app digital assistant, supports more than 270,000 users with personalised assistance. Its digital school payments platform, Skiply, serves more than 350,000 students and their families.

The new identity reflects that evolution. It introduces a modernised logo inspired by Rakbank’s heritage and deep roots in the UAE, alongside refined typography, a more human tone of voice and a more seamless digital experience across customer touchpoints.

The timing also comes as banks across the region accelerate their use of artificial intelligence and automation. For Rakbank, the focus is not technology for technology’s sake, but using innovation to make banking simpler, more intuitive and more useful for customers.

That is particularly relevant for the UAE’s entrepreneurs and businesses, where digital tools can improve access to financial services, while trusted relationships and expert advice remain central to important decisions.

The rebrand therefore represents more than a change in how Rakbank’s branches, cards and website look. It is an expression of how the bank sees its role evolving: using technology to make banking faster and easier, while keeping people at the centre of the moments and decisions that matter most.

As Ahmed puts it: “Banking must remain human.” For Rakbank, that principle will continue to guide every innovation, every customer interaction and the next chapter of its growth journey, helping to rehumanise banking in an increasingly digital world, where technology should strengthen human connection, not replace it.