Dubai welcomed over 1.6 million overnight visitors from Saudi Arabia last year. This was revealed in the Annual Visitor Report 2016 released by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) during the 2017 Arabian Travel Market.
This marks a strong increase of 6 percent over 2015, and reaffirms Dubai’s position as one of the most popular travel destinations among Saudis. Furthermore, the Kingdom’s sizeable contribution toward the total of 14.9 million tourists that visited Dubai last year was second only to India’s 1.8 million.
The GCC remained the No.1 volume generator for tourism to Dubai, delivering the highest share of visitor volumes for 2016 with a total of 3.4 million, up 5 percent over 2015. Saudi Arabia remained the dominant market within the region, bringing first-time and significant repeat travelers to Dubai, followed by Oman, which accounted for over 1 million overnight visitors. Kuwait and Qatar both retained their top 20 status among Dubai’s source markets, registering an annual growth of 2 percent and 9 percent respectively.
Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism, said: “The rising popularity of Dubai as a destination of choice reflects our relentless investments in building a vibrant tourism offering for visitors from across the region and beyond, as well as our concerted efforts to promote our Arabian heritage.
“In many ways, Dubai represents a ‘home-from-home’ experience for our neighbors, making both an extended holiday and quick getaway an attractive travel proposition. A short flight from their home country opens up unique experiences for our guests from the GCC — who are made up of large families with children, young couples, business visitors, solo travelers and adventure-seekers.”
He added: “Our performance in 2016 underscores the resilience of Dubai’s tourism sector and its ability to navigate multiple global headwinds as we remain the fourth most visited city in the world. Our world-class infrastructure and transportation system, incredible shopping and entertainment attractions, range of leisure and recreational experiences, unrivaled hospitality portfolio comprising international and home-grown brands, and our shared cultural heritage continue to drive visitation from the region and surpass forecasts for the global tourism industry.”
Dubai welcomes over 1.6m Saudi travelers in 2016
Dubai welcomes over 1.6m Saudi travelers in 2016
Dammam Airports partners with KaarTech to transform IT services
Dammam Airports, a key player in Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector, has partnered with KaarTech to deliver end-to-end IT managed services across its airport network in the Eastern Province.
This milestone advances Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and strengthens Dammam Airports’ commitment to delivering world-class travel experiences. The collaboration was inaugurated through an official signing ceremony attended by Mohammed Al-Hassany, CEO of Dammam Airports, and Shahinsha Abdul Basheer, CEO of KaarTech, signifying a shared commitment to shaping the future of Saudi Arabia’s aviation through innovation and intelligent technology.
Recognized as one of the world’s largest airports by land area, Dammam Airports connects more than 12 million passengers each year and plays a vital role in strengthening the Kingdom’s aviation growth. With this partnership, the company is set to transform its IT landscape into a secure, scalable, and intelligent environment that supports the complexities of modern airport operations.
KaarTech will manage the complete IT landscape across three airports, covering infrastructure, cloud, and network operations, along with 24/7 service management. This engagement also includes comprehensive application support beyond SAP, enriched with automation, proactive governance, and predictive intelligence. KaarTech will enable Dammam Airports to achieve resilience, efficiency, and long-term scalability through a comprehensive AI governance approach that embeds transparency, accountability, and innovation into every layer of IT operations, positioning the company as a trusted driver of aviation modernization.
This partnership aims to transform IT from a back-end function into an AI-enabled strategic driver of business performance and passenger experience. From ensuring business continuity and strengthening operational reliability to enabling connected, insight-driven airport services, the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to data-driven, intelligent, and sustainable aviation.
Through this engagement, KaarTech reaffirms its position as a trusted partner in AI-led enterprise transformation, delivering deep expertise in managing complex technology ecosystems with intelligence and precision. For Dammam Airports, the partnership represents a decisive step in aligning operational excellence with the national vision for innovation, digital connectivity, and long-term growth.
Together, the two organizations will drive smarter airport operations and deliver sustainable value for the Kingdom’s growing aviation ecosystem.
