The UAE's hotels are gearing up for a busy Eid Al Fitr with booking levels already up to about 60 per cent, with some operators forecasting full occupancy.
Demand is being driven by many factors including staycations, with one hospitality company stating last-minute bookings from the GCC were a key driver and another experiencing “remarkable momentum”.
Eid Al Fitr – which heralds the end of Ramadan – is expected to begin on Monday, March 31. It also coincides with pleasant weather in the UAE, spring break for many schools and the first chance for a proper holiday since the new year break.
In Dubai, April 1 is so far the busiest day with almost 60 per cent of rooms booked – corresponding to 44 per cent at the same time last year, according to data shared with The National by the CoStar Group, parent company of hotel analytics provider STR.
In Abu Dhabi, April 2 and 3 currently have the highest occupancy on the books with both at 55.9 per cent. At the same date last year both days were under 40 per cent.
The figures are as of March 17, the most recent available, but booking levels are expected to sharply increase as the holiday approaches.
“Hotel bookings for the upcoming Eid holiday in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are already gathering pace,” said Kostas Nikolaidis, STR’s senior account manager for the Middle East and Africa, about the 2025 Eid data.
“Dubai hotels are already almost 60 per cent booked while Abu Dhabi hotels are close behind at around 55 per cent. More bookings are expected once the official Eid dates get announced. Occupancy is expected to rebound closer to February year to date averages which stood at 87.3 per cent in Dubai and 86.1 per cent in Abu Dhabi.”
'A great opportunity'
Mr Nikolaidis said Eid coinciding with spring break school holidays in the UAE makes for an interesting trend to watch when it comes to families.
“Many will choose to travel abroad while some may opt to avoid crowded airports and book staycations. Overall, a great opportunity for holidaymakers given the favourable weather in the UAE at this time of the year and hoteliers alike.”
The UAE’s major airlines are also gearing up for a hectic few days with both Emirates and Etihad issuing travel notes to urge people to plan ahead, arrive at the airport in time and check in early. Hotel operators said similar.
“Eid holidays have always been a peak period for Radisson Hotel Group in the region, but we are seeing even stronger momentum this year,” Jan Hanak, managing director, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Egypt, for the group, said.
Mr Hanak said this year was ahead of last year and Radisson expected excellent results in terms of both rates and occupancy. “We’re on track for exceptional results, with both occupancy and room rates surpassing expectations, underscoring the continued growth and resilience of the hospitality industry,” he said.
Staycation demands
Accor, which operates 85 hotels in the UAE, said occupancy over Eid Al Fitr was expected to exceed 90 per cent with last-minute bookings from GCC remaining a key driver.
“April’s booking pace is tracking over 50 per cent ahead of the same period last year, a clear sign of heightened travel demand,” said Paul Stevens, chief operating officer, premium, midscale and economy division for Middle East, Africa and Turkey. “Staycations remain popular, particularly in Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates, while Dubai is seeing strong interest in its beachfront resorts.”
Mr Stevens said Easter holidays in April were also fuelling a notable rise in international arrivals, adding further long term momentum. “Overall, the market is showing exceptional resilience, with both domestic and international segments driving what is set to be a high-performing Eid across the UAE.”
Five Hotels and Resorts forecast “remarkable momentum” this year with “occupancy levels set to surpass last year’s record” and occupancy figures already pacing 7 per cent ahead of last year across its Dubai locations.
Paul Bridger, chief operating officer of Rove Hotels, said Rove Hotels in Dubai are between 70 and 90 per cent occupancy, with beachfront destinations such as La Mer, JBR, and Dubai Marina, as well as hotels near entertainment hubs such as Downtown Dubai, seeing the highest demand.
"We anticipate reaching full capacity in most of Rove Hotels in the coming days," said Mr Bridger. "Since Eid demand is primarily driven by the local market, bookings tend to come in closer to the holiday — typically within 48 to 72 hours of the start of the break."
Mr Bridger said occupancy is up seven per cent across Rove Hotels in Dubai compared to last year. "With Eid shifting into peak travel season, we’re seeing higher overall demand, fueled by both staycationers and a growing influx of international visitors," he said.
The travel boom shows no sign of ending. Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism said the emirate welcomed 1.94 million overnight visitors in January 2025 – an increase of 9 per cent on the same month last year.
While inflation has persisted above the 3 per cent mark Dubai, prices for hotel stays vary wildly from hundreds of dirhams to thousands. But some competitive prices can still be found across the UAE.
Travel experts said people who cannot go abroad are almost spending the same amount of money in the UAE.
“We have not seen this much travel over a long holiday since the pandemic,” said Godly Babukutty, managing director of Epic Travel, a travel agency based in the UAE. “Every year, every holiday we see a spike in the numbers of people travelling and the numbers of destinations.”
Mr Babukutty said their packages abroad for Eid Al Fitr had nearly all sold out and staycations would start to pick up this week. “People who can’t go abroad are spending similar amounts of money doing staycations,” he said. “There has been a travel boom, especially after Covid.”
Eid Al Fitr 2024 around the world - in pictures
Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers
Results:
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah (PA) | Group 2 | US$55,000 (Dirt) | 1,600 metres
Winner: AF Al Sajanjle, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint (TB) | Group 2 | $250,000 (Turf) | 1,000m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
8.15pm: Meydan Trophy Conditions (TB) | $100,000 (T) | 1,900m
Winner: Art Du Val, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) | $250,000 (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Poetic Charm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (D) | 1,200m
Winner: Lava Spin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Mountain Hunter, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYasmin%20Azad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESwift%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
You may remember …
Robbie Keane (Atletico de Kolkata) The Irish striker is, along with his former Spurs teammate Dimitar Berbatov, the headline figure in this season’s ISL, having joined defending champions ATK. His grand entrance after arrival from Major League Soccer in the US will be delayed by three games, though, due to a knee injury.
Dimitar Berbatov (Kerala Blasters) Word has it that Rene Meulensteen, the Kerala manager, plans to deploy his Bulgarian star in central midfield. The idea of Berbatov as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder, might jar with Spurs and Manchester United supporters, who more likely recall an always-languid, often-lazy striker.
Wes Brown (Kerala Blasters) Revived his playing career last season to help out at Blackburn Rovers, where he was also a coach. Since then, the 23-cap England centre back, who is now 38, has been reunited with the former Manchester United assistant coach Meulensteen, after signing for Kerala.
Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur) The Cameroonian defender is onto the 17th club of a career has taken him to Spain, Portugal, Russia, the UK, Greece, and now India. He is still only 32, so there is plenty of time to add to that tally, too. Scored goals against Liverpool and Chelsea during his time with Reading in England.
Emiliano Alfaro (Pune City) The Uruguayan striker has played for Liverpool – the Montevideo one, rather than the better-known side in England – and Lazio in Italy. He was prolific for a season at Al Wasl in the Arabian Gulf League in 2012/13. He returned for one season with Fujairah, whom he left to join Pune.
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
Persuasion
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20profile
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Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
