UAE BARQ برق الإمارات – نبضك
Total tourism revenues in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reached US$131.9 billion in 2025, recording annual growth of 9.7 percent, while tourist arrivals reached 75.7 million, an increase of 4.9 percent compared with 2024, according to data released by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-STAT).
Data from the Centre’s weekly bulletin, entitled “Gulf Tourism in the Era of Smart Transformation”, showed that the number of tourists travelling between GCC countries reached 20.1 million, up 3.6 percent, while the total number of hotel establishments reached 12,400, an increase of 4.8 percent, reflecting the expansion of the tourism sector’s operational base and its growing capacity to accommodate demand, alongside the diversity of accommodation options offered to visitors.
These indicators highlight the importance of tourism as a contributor to economic diversification in the GCC countries, given its links to a wide range of activities, including transport, aviation, hospitality, retail and entertainment, as well as its role in stimulating investment, creating jobs and strengthening the contribution of non-oil activities to Gulf economies.
On digital transformation, the bulletin reviewed the level of digital readiness and its role in developing services. In the Emerging Technology Adoption Index for 2025, GCC countries scored between 34 and 99 points, with three Gulf countries ranking among the top 20 globally in this index. In the Mobile App Development Index, GCC countries scored between 60 and 77 points.
