International tourist departures in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: International tourist departures was 7.26 million departures in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
7.26 million departures
Change on year
up 15.5%
World rank
27th
of 112 countries
All-time high
18.45 million departures
in 2018
All-time low
6.28 million departures
in 2020
Years of data
7
2015–2021

International tourist departures in United Arab Emirates, 2015–2021

7.5M10.0M12.5M15.0M17.5M2015201820212015: 17.4M departures2016: 18.2M departures2017: 18.4M departures2018: 18.5M departures2019: 18.4M departures2020: 6.3M departures2021: 7.3M departures

Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in departures.

Analysis

In 2021, international tourist departures in United Arab Emirates stood at 7.26 million departures.

The figure is up 15.5% on the previous year and down 58.3% over ten years.

That places United Arab Emirates 27th out of 112 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

International tourist departures in United Arab Emirates, year by year

Annual values for International tourist departures in United Arab Emirates, 2015 to 2021.
Year departures Change
2015 17.41 million departures
2016 18.22 million departures +4.7%
2017 18.36 million departures +0.7%
2018 18.45 million departures +0.5%
2019 18.39 million departures -0.3%
2020 6.28 million departures -65.8%
2021 7.26 million departures +15.5%

United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries

  • United Arab Emirates's 7.26 million departures is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.86 million departures, 1.5× the median. (51 countries reporting)
  • United Arab Emirates's 7.26 million departures is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 3.09 million departures, 2.3× the median. (14 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 18.17 million departures 17.41 million departures 18.45 million departures 5
2020s 6.77 million departures 6.28 million departures 7.26 million departures 2

Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates

  1. 24 Argentina 8.31 million departures compare
  2. 25 Czechia 7.52 million departures compare
  3. 26 Turkey 7.27 million departures compare
  4. 28 Finland 7.20 million departures compare
  5. 29 Israel 7.08 million departures compare
  6. 30 Syria 6.26 million departures

See the full ranking of 112 places →

More reference data data for United Arab Emirates

All data for United Arab Emirates →

Frequently asked questions

What is international tourist departures in United Arab Emirates?
International tourist departures in United Arab Emirates was 7.26 million departures in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest international tourist departures recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The highest recorded value was 18.45 million departures in 2018.
What is the lowest international tourist departures recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The lowest recorded value was 6.28 million departures in 2020.
How does United Arab Emirates rank for international tourist departures?
United Arab Emirates ranks 27th out of 112 countries with data for 2021.
Is international tourist departures rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of International tourist departures. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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International tourist departures in United Arab Emirates. Statizoid, drawing on UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/international-tourist-departures/united-arab-emirates/

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About this data

Indicator
International tourist departures
Unit
departures
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
112 places, 2,384 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of trips by country's residents who travel abroad and stay overnight.