# Dubai aims to turn tourism into longer-term economic participation

> Issam Kazim, chief executive of Dubai’s tourism and commerce marketing body, describes an approach focused on longer stays, remote work and business formation.

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- Section: Business
- Published: 2026-10-06T15:40:03+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-07T05:57:58+03:00
- Event / data period: 2026-06-09
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In a June 9 interview with Gulf News, Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, described tourism as a gateway to investment, talent and long-term residency beyond visitor counts. The city’s approach seeks to turn short visits into longer stays, remote work and company formation.

Kazim said Dubai received 19.59 million international visitors in 2025, its third consecutive record year. The interview also cited Dubai GDP of AED 937 billion and 95.2 million passengers at Dubai International Airport for 2025. These are past-year figures reported in the interview; it gave no new visitor forecast for 2026.

## Data

### Interview figures

Tourism indicators reported as 2025 outcomes by the source.

Methodology: Values are reported as 2025 outcomes in the interview; they are not forecasts.

| label | value | unit | period | basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International visitors | 19.59 | million people | 2025 | observed |
| Dubai International Airport passengers | 95.2 | million people | 2025 | observed |

Sources: <https://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/every-visitor-who-experiences-dubai-is-a-potential-future-resident-business-owner-or-investor-issam-kazim-1.500567195> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/issam-kazim-dubai-tourism-long-term-economic-participation-2026/data/dubai-tourism-context?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/issam-kazim-dubai-tourism-long-term-economic-participation-2026/data/dubai-tourism-context?lang=en&format=csv)

## Sources

- [Gulf News](<https://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/every-visitor-who-experiences-dubai-is-a-potential-future-resident-business-owner-or-investor-issam-kazim-1.500567195>) (Source checked: 2026-10-06; Published: 2026-06-09)

## Correction history

- 2026-10-07T00:49:31+03:00: German and Portuguese editions and translations of the data and correction explanations have been added to this article.
- 2026-10-07T05:57:58+03:00: Data classification added: each figure now carries a measure identifier with its unit, geography, frequency and type. No figure, unit or date changed.

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