Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT):
Understanding the Supply and Demand Sides
In the OIC Member Countries
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d) Water friendly Washroom
Hotels room washrooms and public toilets are water usage friendly across the Emirates.
e) No Non-Halal Activities and Recreational facilities and facilities with privacy
There are a growing number of hotels in the UAE which do not serve Alcohol, and claim all
food is Halal. A few international chains of hotels that are located in UAE have adopted a
Muslim friendly policy. These hotels would for example have different timings for the use of
their recreational facilities.
Dr Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Janahi, Advisor, Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre,
mentioned that UAE is positioned itself to be a Muslim friendly family destination. Hence, hotels
and public recreational venues are starting to offer facilities with privacy . His comments are
concurred by Ahmad Belhoul, CEO of Strategy and Tourism Sector Development at Department
of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai (DTCM) where he mentioned that his
organization will focus on positioning and promoting the country as a family, event and business
destination.
Demand Side Analysis (Reasons and Motivation for travel)
a) Leisure Travel
Leisure travel represented the majority of travel to UAE. The growth of leisure travel into UAE
is summarized below:
 The growth was largely driven by the UAE's efforts to attract tourists by investing in
tourism infrastructure such as theme parks, shopping malls and stadiums.
 It is also emerging as the global aviation hub due to Emirates airlines operating out of
Dubai which, contributed to building two world-class airports in Dubai (Dubai
International and Al Maktoum International).
 UAE is also continuously enhancing its position as a family destination, for example by
opening the Yas Waterworld, a waterpark. Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai has number
“Leisure” products in the pipeline that will further enhance its position as a Leisure
destination. These include Dubai Safari Park, Dubai Opera House and Dubai Parks &
Resorts’ including Legoland Dubai, and Bollywood Parks Dubai
 Dubai is renowned as a shopping destination. The city’s retail offering, includes for
Dubai Mall, The Galleria, the World Trade Centre Mall, and Yas Mall.
 In addition, the visitor arrival growth could also attribute to the development of LCC
(low cost carriers). The number of seats sold by LCCs has increased, in particular as
Flydubai and Air Arabia established themselves in the market.
Chiheb Ben-Mahmoud, Head of Hotels and Hospitality for the Middle East and North Africa
(Mena) region at Jones Lang LaSalle said that sporting events contribute greatly to
strengthening the UAE status as a tourist destination. For example, Tennis, Golf and Sailing are
major international sporting events. In addition, Chiheb commented that VFR tourism (visiting
friends and relatives) is a growth driver for leisure tourism in UAE.