DUBAI’s decision to welcome thousands of Russians seeking refuge in its borders at the height of the war in Ukraine brought benefits to its economy.
Dubai welcomed 1.47 million visitors in January.
The highest number of international guests came from India at 186,000, Russian tourists placed second at 115,000, while the third-biggest source market was Saudi Arabia with 98,000 visitors.
Travel analytics firm ForwardKeys reported air traffic between Moscow and Dubai grew by a whopping 228 percent compared to the pre-pandemic days after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Around 1.9 million Russians visited Dubai in 2022 and were part of the top five source market for Dubai’s travel and tourism sector before climbing to second place this year.
The Global Business Travel Association predicted that business travel spending in the Middle East and Africa is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2024.
