Abu Dhabi is banking on sell-out concert events, mega sporting occasions, and a “twin” of the Las Vegas Sphere to compete with the quickly growing tourism locations surrounding it.
Abu Dhabi has set a goal of seven.2 million worldwide guests by 2030, up from 3.8 million in 2023, and expects to spend $10 billion on its Tourism Technique 2030. On Wednesday, Disneyland Abu Dhabi was introduced – an enormous tourism mission for the entire nation.
Occasions, notably sporting occasions, are on the core of this technique, mentioned Abdulla Yousuf, Director of Worldwide Operations for Abu Dhabi’s Division of Tradition and Tourism.
“We hold including extra occasions,” Yousuf instructed Skift throughout the Arabian Journey Market in Dubai final week. “These kind of occasions aren’t simply occasions; they’re milestones towards the place we wish the vacation spot to be.”
Abu Dhabi has spent years positioning itself as a serious hub for sports activities.
The System 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, held yearly at Yas Marina Circuit, is the ultimate race of the F1 calendar. Town can be a key location for UFC, with title fights and occasions commonly staged at Etihad Area on Yas Island. The NBA Abu Dhabi Video games convey prime groups to the area every October for preseason matchups.
For now, Abu Dhabi continues to be a regional hub for sports activities. Yousuf desires to make it world. This implies constructing extra resort rooms. Not everybody can keep in Abu Dhabi throughout large matches, resulting in spillover into close by emirates.
“Each, I’d say. I’ve to confess that it’s each,” Yousuf mentioned when speaking about home vs. worldwide enterprise. “We attempt to cater as a lot as we will. However as a vacation spot, we’re engaged on completely different initiatives to extend the resort provide in Abu Dhabi.” The emirate has a 2030 goal of 52,000 rooms, up from 34,000 in 2023.
A New Sphere is Touchdown
Sphere Leisure confirmed final October that its subsequent location outdoors of Las Vegas could be in Abu Dhabi.
Yousuf mentioned the Abu Dhabi model would “actually be a twin” of the U.S. venue.
“Everybody was celebrating the truth that Sphere Vegas goes to have a twin. And actually, it may be a twin,” he mentioned. “So, when individuals ask us the query, ‘Is it going to be the identical one?’ It will be the very same Sphere with the identical dimension in Abu Dhabi. So, , the Sphere Vegas now has a sibling that we have to deal with.”
Requested whether or not Abu Dhabi might someday compete with Vegas, Yousuf mentioned: “Vacationers will hold going to Vegas, and they’re going to hold going to different components of the world. It is about discovering out the place you could be related.”
Concert events and Music
Concert events are one other development space for Abu Dhabi, and one which has confirmed its skill to draw world audiences.
Coldplay’s Abu Dhabi leg of its world tour drew huge demand. The band introduced the present in early September for a January 11 date, and rapidly added two extra performances. Resort charges surged throughout town, and vacationers who couldn’t discover tickets in different tour areas opted for Abu Dhabi as a substitute.
Of the 200,000+ attendees, DCT estimates that a mean of 27% arrived from outdoors the UAE.
“You realize, everybody is aware of in regards to the story of Coldplay, how individuals from India could not discover tickets in Mumbai and so they got here to Abu Dhabi. So for us, that is a testomony to the technique,” mentioned Yousuf.
Musicians anticipated to carry out in Abu Dhabi this yr embrace Weapons N’ Roses, Metallica, Jennifer Lopez, and Katy Perry.
Regionally, tourism leaders within the Gulf have referred to as for extra collaboration in order that world acts embrace the area on their world excursions.
Collaboration Over Competitors
Finally, these methods mirror a wider aim.
“What we needed to do is distinguish ourselves from the very aggressive scene within the area. I have to admit that, proper? What’s taking place within the area when it comes to, , Dubai is Dubai. They have been doing nice work. They have been main on the event of tourism within the area.”
“After which Saudi Arabia, with the bold imaginative and prescient that they’ve, has modified perceptions about what this area can provide. The management in Qatar, with all the main focus they’re placing on growing the nation, Oman can be waking up. So, all of that is nice for the area. It is making it very aggressive, however the profit, by the tip of the day, goes to be for the traveler who could have a number of selections within the vacation spot.”
“Competitors is wholesome, however collaboration is much more useful to everybody.”
Correction: This text has been up to date to right Abdulla Yousuf’s title and the 2030 goal for inns rooms in Abu Dhabi. The information relating to worldwide demand for the Coldplay concert events have additionally been up to date to notice that 27% arrived from outdoors the UAE.
