Russian Tourists Have Flocked to Dubai - Now Moscow Wants UAE Travelers

Soon after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Dubai became a new haven for wealthy Russian travelers: 758,000 Russians visited Dubai that year, a 70% year-on-year increase. By the middle of 2023, Russia was Dubai's second-largest source market behind only India.

Those numbers died down as numerous Russian tourists opted to relocate to Dubai permanently or travel elsewhere, but the Dubai-Russia tourism tie has remained strong.

Now Moscow is actively seeking to draw in more UAE travelers, according to an interview in the UAE's state news wire.

“The Gulf region, especially the UAE, is a key market for us, and we are eager to see more Emirati visitors enjoying Moscow as a regular destination," said Bulat Nurmukhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, in an interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM) during a media gathering in Dubai.

“The surge in tourism flow from the United Arab Emirates to Moscow is remarkable,” Nurmukhanov said. “By the first nine months of last year, we welcomed over 40,000 tourists from the UAE — compared to just 5,000 in 2022. The growth is phenomenal, and we are here to sustain this momentum.”

While 40,000 is fairly modest against the 26 million total tourists in Moscow annually, it's still an eight-fold increase compared to 2022 and a 95-fold increase in the past eight years, according to figures shared by Nurmukanov.

Last July, Abu Dhabi's director general for culture and tourism, Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, posted on his Instagram that he had visited Moscow.

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A post shared by Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry (@salgeziry)

As of early February, there were 150 flights a week from Moscow to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. 

Unlike many Western countries, the UAE has maintained good relations with Russia. In January, delegates from both countries signed a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between the UAE and Russia, designed to prevent individuals and businesses from being taxed on the same income in both countries.

This deal impacts those living between the two countries and it impacts investments, particularly joint investments made by the two countries. Easier financial conditions and reduced tax burdens could encourage Emiratis and UAE-based expatriates to explore investment and travel opportunities in Russia.

The flood of Russian money into the city's housing market is so much so that developers are rushing to build additional housing to satisfy Russian tastes. Local publications such as Arabian Gulf Business Insight (AGBI) have dubbed these the city's "Little Moscow communities."