The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has introduced updated holiday home regulations aimed at clarifying licensing, operational, inspection and compliance requirements for the sector.
Announced during
Arabian Travel Market 2026, the revised regulations expand the definition of
eligible holiday home operators to include individual and joint owners, legal
entities, tenants and persons authorised by property owners, subject to DCT Abu
Dhabi conditions.
The updated rules
also introduce greater transparency for digital listings. Holiday homes cannot
be advertised on websites or digital platforms without a valid DCT Abu Dhabi
licence, while the licence number must be displayed on the property’s listing
page.
Hamad Sudain,
Executive Director of Support Services at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “The holiday
home sector is an increasingly important part of Abu Dhabi’s evolving tourism
landscape, responding to changing traveller preferences while broadening the
emirate’s accommodation offering. These updated regulations strengthen the
sector’s governance framework, enhance transparency and encourage responsible
market participation, while safeguarding the high standards of quality and
guest experience that define Abu Dhabi as a destination. By providing greater
clarity for operators and confidence for visitors and investors, we are
creating the conditions for sustainable growth, continued investment and
innovation across the emirate’s tourism sector.”
The updated
framework comes as holiday homes become an increasingly significant part of Abu
Dhabi’s accommodation offering.
In 2025, the
emirate’s holiday home supply grew 77% year-on-year, adding more than 2,000
eligible properties and reaching 4,771 units.
Guest numbers also
increased 77% to more than 335,000.
Domestic guests
rose 114% to 82,900, while international visitors increased 68% to 252,500.
Average daily
revenue grew 28% to AED1,887 ($514).
DCT Abu Dhabi first
introduced holiday home regulations in 2020 and has periodically updated the
framework as the market has developed.
Previous changes
included requirements covering tourism fees and the submission and updating of
information through the department’s licensing system.
In late 2025, DCT
Abu Dhabi also redesigned its holiday homes platform to streamline
applications, accelerate permit issuance, strengthen inspection capabilities
and improve compliance management.
The latest regulations are intended to support higher standards of safety and guest experience while contributing to the objectives of Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 by diversifying accommodation options beyond traditional hotels. -TradeArabia News Service