Yas and Saadiyat Islands See Record 10% Visitor Growth in 2024

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

Miral has shared that 2024 was a very strong year for Yas Island and Saadiyat Island, with both places seeing the highest number of visitors since 2019. The news was announced during the Arabian Travel Market in 2025. Yas Island had over 38 million visits in 2024, which is 10% more than the year before. Hotels on the island also did very well, with 82% of rooms being full on average during the year and reaching 90% occupancy in August. The money made from rooms also went up, with average room prices growing by 17% compared to 2023. Saadiyat Island also saw a 10% increase in people coming to its hotels and museums.

Stay informed with the latest news. Follow DXB News Network on WhatsApp Channel  

Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, the Group CEO of Miral, said that this growth shows how well they are working to make Abu Dhabi a top travel place. He said that Miral is building great places and fun things to do that bring joy to people from around the world. He also said that the success of Yas and Saadiyat Islands is thanks to strong teamwork and the goal of making Abu Dhabi more known around the globe.

Yas Island’s theme parks and CLYMB Abu Dhabi had 20% more guests in 2024 than in 2023. There were 56% more visitors from Gulf countries, and many more from other parts of the world too. There was a 44% increase from India, 81% from China, 40% from the UK, and 29% from Russia. More people also came to events on Yas Island, with a 10% increase in people going to shows, concerts, and sports matches. Some of the big events included performances by Diljit Dosanjh, the Wireless Festival Middle East, Disney on Ice, UFC fights, NBA games, and the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The year also brought popular musicals to the region like Hamilton, Life of Pi, Matilda, and Chicago.

Yas Island is also becoming a favorite place for business events and meetings. In 2024, there were 17% more of these business gatherings, and hotel bookings for business visitors went up by 7%. To help grow this area more, Miral launched the Yas Island Metaverse with help from e& enterprise. This is a digital tool that shows what Yas Island has to offer for business and fun in a virtual way.

Saadiyat Island stayed popular with people who enjoy a mix of culture, nature, and beach life. Its hotels had 74% of rooms booked during the year. Room prices there also rose by 14%. More tourists came from the UK, India, and China. Growth from the UK was 11%, from India 30%, and from China 58%.

There are many exciting projects coming in 2025. Yas Waterworld is adding 12 new rides in a big expansion that will open in summer. A new beach area at Yas Bay is also being built, which will offer more places to relax and enjoy the sea. Warner Bros. World Yas Island will become even bigger with new attractions based on DC comics and Harry Potter, plus two more rides.

Saadiyat Island will welcome the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi at the end of 2025. This will be the biggest museum of its kind in the region and will take visitors on a journey through the history of nature and life on Earth. In April 2024, Saadiyat Cultural District opened teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, a large space full of colorful, interactive art. This was created with help from DCT Abu Dhabi and a Japanese art group called teamLab.

In 2024, Yas Island and Saadiyat Island together won more than 190 awards. Yas Island got over 175 awards for its great services and places, and Saadiyat Island earned more than 20, showing it is one of the best beach spots in the Middle East. These wins show how much Miral cares about creating fun and special places for everyone while helping Abu Dhabi become more popular as a top place for travel. These efforts also help support Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030, which aims to bring in 39.3 million visitors each year, create 178,000 new jobs, and grow the tourism part of the economy to AED 90 billion each year by 2030.