The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Miral, announced a partnership to further enrich Yas Island’s events portfolio. The agreement aims at generating AED 86 million (USD 23.4 million) in economic impact over the next two years and attracting 17,000 additional hotel guest night bookings to Abu Dhabi.

This partnership is driven by the principles of Abu Dhabi’s Development Accelerator Programme ‘Ghadan 21’, which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in 2018. The program injects AED 50 billion (USD 13.6) into several key sectors of the Emirate, to improve the overall quality of life in Abu Dhabi.

Significant funds from – Ghadan 21 – were allocated to the tourism sector, with DCT Abu Dhabi subsequently launching an AED 600 million (USD 163 million) ‘mega events fund’ with the specific aim of developing major entertainment and business activities and festivals in the emirate. In alignment with Ghadan 21, DCT Abu Dhabi and Miral will now collaborate to deliver an annual calendar of events to take place on Yas Island, with the aim of further advancing the tourism industry – one of the Emirate’s most important growth sectors.

Miral’s collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi complements Yas Island’s diverse portfolio and supports its ambition to become one of the top destinations for leisure and entertainment globally, through immersive and unique experiences.

The UAE capital’s packed events calendar has already helped achieve a new record for 2019 in terms of the number of hotel guests coming to the emirate for a 2nd Quarter, with 1.2 million guests arriving for the April to June period, a seven percent increase from the same period in 2018. Year-to-Date results for 2019 also show impressive metrics, with hotel guest numbers reaching 2.5 million, a rise of four percent growth from 2018, and hotel revenues of AED 2.9 billion, a remarkable 10.6% rise.

Miral will collaborate with DCT Abu Dhabi to bring some of the most exciting global acts and performances to Yas Island. Upcoming events include the UFC mixed martial arts event, Eminem in concert, comedian Trevor Noah’s show and the Taste of Abu Dhabi event.