UAE-Russia ties: A win-win for tourism, trade and investment

The UAE tourism industry is thriving. Close to 3.14 million tourists landed on Dubai soil in the first two months of 2019, up from 3.05 million during the same period last year. It’s interesting to note that Russia has been a major contributor, with more than 820,000 tourists visiting the UAE in 2018. Among the UAE’s top inbound markets, Russian tourist expenditure witnessed the highest growth of 13 percent in 2018, Visa confirmed.The trade exchange between UAE and Russia is projected to be in the $3 billion ballpark, and is expected to rise with the easing of visa rules between UAE and Russia. Russian visitors to the UAE increased 64.8 percent in the first eight months of 2018 after the UAE offered Russians a free 30-day visa on arrival with the possibility of extension for a nominal fee. St. Petersburg, Russia, is now looking to draw in more UAE tourists with a wide array of leisure, MICE, luxury, recreational, as well as health and wellness tourist activities.