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Dubai had been hoping to welcome a record 20 million visitors in 2026.
23:02, Sun, May 3, 2026 Updated: 23:03, Sun, May 3, 2026
Dubai has a reputation for being a luxury destination for tourists (Image: Getty)
Dubai’s huge tourism industry has been left reeling by the Iran war as holidaymakers opt away from visiting the usually glitzy destination, famous for its luxurious image. It is estimated Dubai is losing up to £450 million a day due to the dramatic drop in visitor numbers, reports say.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) holiday hotspot was among the cities across the Gulf to come under retaliatory attacks from Tehran after the US and Israel began attacking Iran in late February. Dubai had been hoping to welcome a record 20 million visitors in 2026. Incoming flights to its International Airport — the busiest in the world — have also fallen dramatically amid the ongoing tensions.
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Dubai's tourism industry has been hit hard by the Iran war (Image: Getty)
Dubai is famous for its five-star hotels, high-end restaurants and lavish beach clubs.
More and more hotels are reportedly closing in the city as the disruption and fall in visitors persist.
Foreign visitors are now rarely seen in some of Dubai’s most popular tourist areas, such as the Marina and Palm Jumeirah, it is claimed.
According to the Daily Mail, as many as seven of Dubai’s five-star hotels in the past week have announced they are closing their doors completely.
Thousands more hospitality staff are set to either be let go or placed on indefinite “unpaid leave”.
A number of hotels have said they are closing temporarily to allow for renovations.
One rooftop barman revealed how Dubai’s usually booming tourism industry has dried up.
They told the Mail: “It is very quiet, we have no tourists left.
“The only people now staying here are all UAE residents who come for the weekend to use the pool or have brunch here.”
Tourist attractions such as the Wild Wadi Waterpark, Dubai Parks and Resorts, and SkyDive Dubai have reportedly closed their doors, while some beach clubs have begun offering free entry in an effort to get paying customers in.
Dubai’s typically busy Old Town has also been impacted, with its lanes described in reports as largely empty.
Restaurants too have also taken a hit due to the plunge in tourists, reports say.
Last year, 1.3 million British tourists visited Dubai — making it the most popular destination in the Middle East for Britons.
A fragile ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran remains in place.
On Sunday, Iran said it was reviewing the US response to its latest proposal to end the war.
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