Arrivals of tourists from abroad in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: Arrivals of tourists from abroad was 11.48 million arrivals in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
11.48 million arrivals
Change on year
up 60.2%
World rank
29th
of 203 countries
All-time high
21.56 million arrivals
in 2019
All-time low
2.31 million arrivals
in 1995
Years of data
19
1995–2021

Arrivals of tourists from abroad in United Arab Emirates, 1995–2021

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M1995200820211995: 2.3M arrivals1996: 2.6M arrivals1997: 2.5M arrivals1998: 3.0M arrivals1999: 3.4M arrivals2000: 3.9M arrivals2001: 4.1M arrivals2002: 5.4M arrivals2003: 5.9M arrivals2004: 6.2M arrivals2005: 7.1M arrivals2014: 16.2M arrivals2015: 16.8M arrivals2016: 18.1M arrivals2017: 19.2M arrivals2018: 20.2M arrivals2019: 21.6M arrivals2020: 7.2M arrivals2021: 11.5M arrivals

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for arrivals of tourists from abroad in United Arab Emirates is 11.48 million arrivals, measured in 2021.

The figure is up 60.2% on the previous year and down 29.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad in United Arab Emirates peaked at 21.56 million arrivals in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2.31 million arrivals, in 1995.

That places United Arab Emirates 29th out of 203 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.75 million arrivals 2.31 million arrivals 3.39 million arrivals 5
2000s 5.45 million arrivals 3.91 million arrivals 7.13 million arrivals 6
2010s 18.69 million arrivals 16.23 million arrivals 21.56 million arrivals 6
2020s 9.32 million arrivals 7.17 million arrivals 11.48 million arrivals 2

Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates

  1. 26 Singapore 13.03 million arrivals compare
  2. 27 Egypt 11.62 million arrivals compare
  3. 28 Albania 11.48 million arrivals compare
  4. 31 Morocco 10.87 million arrivals compare
  5. 32 Kazakhstan 10.38 million arrivals compare

See the full ranking of 203 places →

More reference data data for United Arab Emirates

All data for United Arab Emirates →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrivals of tourists from abroad in United Arab Emirates?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad in United Arab Emirates was 11.48 million arrivals in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The highest recorded value was 21.56 million arrivals in 2019.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The lowest recorded value was 2.31 million arrivals in 1995.
How does United Arab Emirates rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad?
United Arab Emirates ranks 29th out of 203 countries with data for 2021.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
Over the last ten years it is down 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
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 Arrivals of tourists from abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad
Unit
arrivals
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
203 places, 5,187 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of trips by visitors who arrive from abroad and stay overnight.