Dubai Economy and Tourism hosts City Briefing for stakeholders

Sign up to our newsletters

Stay informed with the
latest news and analysis

You are viewing 2 of your 2 free articles

Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) held a City Briefing on 3 June 2026 addressing the state of tourism in the emirate in 2026 in the wake of the Iran War.

A regular happening in the tourism industry calendar, the event took place at Dubai Opera and set a new record for the largest number of attendees ever gathered at a DET City Briefing.

“Today’s briefing will be different to what you are used to,” warned His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), an affiliate of DET, who took to the stage to address the audience with a presentation that covered three key points: Dubai’s response, resilience and future roadmap.

Tourism industry stakeholders seeking answers and assurances were given a structured overview of the city’s status, starting with a recap on the UAE’s response to the war, which broke out on 28 February 2026, immediately impacting air travel and hotel occupancy across the GCC region.

Kazim praised the UAE’s leadership, stating that a total of AED2.5 billion (US$680.7 million) has been allocated for incentives and initiatives to support Dubai’s tourism industry. He also cited the show of solidarity by the Dubai royal family, helmed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, whose reassuring presence was felt mid-conflict at major local sporting events, malls and landmark hotels such as Atlantis, The Palm.

For consumers, general price hikes, typical in times of conflict across outlets such as supermarkets, have been prevented with the enforcing of policy that included twice-daily inspections.

The federal response was equally applauded, with Kazim pointing out that the UAE government has drawn on lessons learned during the past financial crisis of 2008/09 and 2020’s Covid pandemic, both of which were followed by rapid recovery.

Statistics reported by DET

Clear and ongoing lines of communication with stakeholders allowed the authorities to be responsive. One example shared highlighted the rapid change of the mobile phone missile alert tones during the war. Based on feedback, the sound of the second alert to let citizens know that a threat has passed, originally the same as that of a missile warning, was changed for clarity and assurance.

A tribute was also made to Dubai’s community. Social media videos in support of Dubai made by citizens, influencers, Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and local personalities such as radio DJ and reality TV star Kris Fade, were shared on the big screen.

“What’s interesting, is that there were a lot of questions about whether they were paid to do these posts,” laughed Kazim, referencing false accusations previously levelled at Dubai by international tabloids and clickbait pundits.

Sheikh Hamdan outlines Dubai tourism priorities

UAE announces 3-day break for Islamic New Year

Attributing the patriotic outpouring to sound leadership, he added: “Here, within the city, people feel safe. People can see the leadership acting for their benefit, on their behalf, for their safety, and they take that personally.”

Moving onto the second segment, focused on resilience, Kazim pointed out that while one British newspaper ran with the headline ‘One in eight Brits have left Dubai’, he said another way to frame it would be that seven in eight Brits have stayed, and for residents’ faith in the country’s leadership he said he felt deeply proud.

‘We’re not pausing, we’re preparing for what’s next’ read the rallying quote on the screen on stage as the talk concluded with a roadmap of the future.

Record-breaking attendance at 2026 DET City Briefing

Events were flagged as one of the keys to the city’s recovery, following the successful hosting of Q1 gatherings ranging from Dubai World Cup, the 20th anniversary edition of Art Dubai and the launch of the region’s first-ever Primark at Dubai Mall on 26 March, which was so well received, the company quickly launched two more stores, in City Centre Mirdif on 9 April and in Mall of the Emirates on 21 May. Clearly, Dubai is still an attractive market for the right product.

The second half of 2026 sees even busier months ahead, given that planned Q2 events have been moved into Q3 and Q4 – among them Arabian Travel Market, which has been rescheduled from May to 14 to 17 September.

Dubai’s tourism and retail departments have also launched new events, such as the city’s first Summer Restaurant Week (SRW), part of Dubai Summer Surprises, which will take place from 13 July to 2 August. Spanning 21 days, SRW will offer diners the opportunity to experience exclusive set menus at some of Dubai’s leading casual restaurants at exceptional value for a limited time.

Participating restaurants will benefit from inclusion in the extensive SRW marketing campaign, providing increased visibility and opportunities to attract new customers. Applications for participation in the 2026 edition are now officially open and restaurateurs can complete the application form here up until 11 June 2026.

“Like I said, it’s not been a usual year for us,” Kazim concluded, “but the backbone of Dubai has always been and remains the private and public sector partnership, and that has truly been tested time and time again. We constantly work together to ensure that we put new measures in place… and I think that is what gives us that sense of confidence as individuals, and we bring that forward within our entities as well.”

For more information, visit www.visitdubai.com