Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes was 9.04 million trips in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
9.04 million trips
Change on year
up 58.1%
World rank
24th
of 179 countries
All-time high
19.20 million trips
in 2019
All-time low
5.71 million trips
in 2020
Years of data
8
2014–2021

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in United Arab Emirates, 2014–2021

5.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M2014201720212014: 14.3M trips2015: 15.2M trips2016: 15.8M trips2017: 16.6M trips2018: 17.7M trips2019: 19.2M trips2020: 5.7M trips2021: 9.0M trips

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in United Arab Emirates is 9.04 million trips, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of up 58.1% on the previous year and down 37.0% over ten years.

United Arab Emirates ranks 24th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 16.48 million trips 14.33 million trips 19.20 million trips 6
2020s 7.37 million trips 5.71 million trips 9.04 million trips 2

Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates

  1. 21 Morocco 11.52 million trips compare
  2. 22 Bulgaria 9.65 million trips compare
  3. 23 Ireland 9.49 million trips compare
  4. 25 Syria 9.02 million trips compare
  5. 26 India 8.79 million trips compare
  6. 27 South Africa 8.64 million trips compare

See the full ranking of 179 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 for personal purposes in United Arab Emirates?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in United Arab Emirates was 9.04 million trips in 2021, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The highest recorded value was 19.20 million trips in 2019.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The lowest recorded value was 5.71 million trips in 2020.
How does United Arab Emirates rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?
United Arab Emirates ranks 24th out of 179 countries with data for 2021.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
Over the last ten years it is down 37.0%. 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 Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes
Unit
trips
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,054 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of international trips where the main purpose is personal (leisure, visiting friends and relatives, health, etc.) and the visitor stays overnight.