Discover the biggest UAE and GCC headlines this week, from updated school calendars and new travel rules to booming property markets and major infrastructure developments.
Dubai hotels
Latest in Dubai hotels
Branded residences
Mandarin Oriental to open Dubai hotel and branded residences in Wasl Tower by October 2025
Mandarin Oriental to open Dubai hotel with branded residences in Wasl Tower
Department of Economy and Tourism
Dubai attracts 8.68m visitors in first five months of 2025 as hotel room numbers reach 153,356
Dubai welcomed 8.68m international visitors from January to May 2025, a 7 per cent rise year-on-year
Department of Economy and Tourism
Dubai welcomes 7.15m visitors in first 4 months of 2025 as tourism sector powers ahead
Dubai welcomed 7.15 million visitors in the first four months of 2025, as revealed at the DET City Briefing. Key tourism updates include record growth, new campaigns, Dubai Summer Surprises, and the expanded MICHELIN Guide
Dubai hotel
IHG to introduce Kimpton to UAE with Dubai hotel opening in 2026
IHG to bring iconic Kimpton hotel brand to the UAE as Dubai named for debut property
branded real estate
Jumeirah announces new branded real estate and hotel in Dubai
Jumeirah reveals expansion plan with new real estate and hotel projects in Dubai
Buddha Bar
Dubai World Islands: $817m Buddha Bar Hotel to open in Heart of Europe
Buddha Bar Hotel and a honeymoon island resort coming to The Heart of Europe on The World Islands in Dubai
Dubai hotel
Dubai to add over 11,300 new hotel rooms by 2027
Dubai’s booming tourism sector will have more than 162,600 hotel rooms by the end of 2027
Dubai hotel
Oravel Stays plans to launch 15 SUNDAY Hotels in Dubai in 2025
Oravel Stays opens SUDNAY Emirates Grand Hotel, plans major expansion in Dubai
Dubai hotels
Dubai, Shanghai and London lead global hotel room growth in 2025
More than 5,300 new hotel rooms expected to open in Dubai this year
department of econo
Dubai welcomed 18.7m tourists last year, Sheikh Hamdan lauds ‘exceptional growth’
Dubai saw a 9 per cent increase to the number of international overnight visitors as tourism booms
amnesty fines
Dubai real estate supply; Exclusive Salt Bae interview; Sheikh Hamdan announces well-being resort; UAE deportations; Kuwait announces holiday – 10 things you missed this week
Dubai real estate analysis, new well-being resort announced, Brits flock to the UAE, Kuwait announces holiday and more top news stories this week
Burj Al Arab
Jumeirah Group’s superyacht-inspired Marsa Al Arab in Dubai opens for bookings from March 14
For UAE residents, the property will offer special “Exceptional Staycations” packages, while GCC visitors can access exclusive benefits through the “Jumeirah Breaks” programme
3-star hotel
Why Dubai’s 5-star hotels are so good the hospitality industry needs a new rating system
Hotel ratings across the globe are not fit for purpose as Dubai and Saudi Arabia raise the benchmark