Abu Dhabi Dominates Global Travel Awards 2025 with Coveted Accolades

Abu Dhabi swept multiple categories at the 2025 World Travel Awards, cementing its position as the Middle East's top destination for business travel, cultural tourism, and adventure activities. The emirate's dominance across tourism sectors reflects the UAE's broader strategy to become a global travel hub.

Abu Dhabi claimed the Middle East's Leading Business Travel Destination award for the fifth consecutive year. This streak shows how the emirate has built a solid reputation among corporate travelers and event organizers.

Etihad Airways dominated the aviation categories with five major wins. The airline took home awards for best passenger experience, economy class, in-flight entertainment, business class lounge at Zayed International Airport, and cabin crew service in the Middle East region.

**Tourism attractions across Abu Dhabi claimed their own recognition.** Saadiyat Island won the leading beach destination award, while Qasr Al Watan secured the cultural tourism prize. The island's theme parks also performed well - Ferrari World Abu Dhabi earned the theme park award, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi got the tourist attraction title, and Yas Waterworld claimed the water park category. Clymb Abu Dhabi took the adventure tourism award.

Dubai also performed strongly at the awards. The emirate won the leading meetings and conferences destination, while Dubai Airport secured the region's leading airport award. Emirates Airlines collected multiple honors including first class, brand recognition, first class lounge, and its Skywards rewards program.

Ras Al Khaimah rounded out the UAE's success by winning the Middle East's leading adventure tourism destination.

**The awards come as UAE tourism shows strong growth numbers.** Hotels across the country welcomed over 16.1 million guests in the first half of this year, up 5.5% from the same period in 2024. Hotel nights reached 56 million, growing 7.3% year-on-year. Guests stayed an average of 3.5 nights, with the country now hosting 1,243 hotel establishments offering more than 216,000 rooms.

These wins matter because they influence travel booking decisions. Industry data shows that award recognition often translates into increased visitor numbers and higher hotel rates. For the UAE, this recognition supports its goal of attracting 40 million visitors annually by 2031.