Ras Al Khaimah recorded 25% year-on-year growth in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) room nights and a 36% rise in MICE revenue, reflecting increased demand from corporate groups, incentive travellers and event organisers, according to report by Stirling Hospitality Advisors.
The research also highlights that the Emirate is now
attracting events from a wider range of industries, including pharmaceuticals,
finance, technology, manufacturing, and sustainable energy.
Alongside business
events, RAK also recorded 167% year-on-year growth in wedding revenue, further
demonstrating its emerging position as a multi-segment events hub.
With 8,300 hotel rooms currently operational and 9,300
additional rooms in the pipeline, Ras Al Khaimah is on track to support its
long-term goal of welcoming 3.5 million visitors by 2030.
The report notes that RAK’s combination of desert, mountain
and sea, together with ease of doing business and a growing portfolio of
high-quality hospitality properties, is strengthening its appeal to planners
and organisers looking for a fresh, accessible alternative within the UAE.
Tatiana Veller, Managing Director of Stirling Hospitality
Advisors, said: “The findings show that Ras Al Khaimah is rapidly positioning
itself as one of the UAE’s major business events centres. We’re seeing stronger
interest from organisers, better infrastructure to support them, and a hotel
pipeline that gives the Emirate room to grow. It’s a positive sign for the
market, and it reflects how quickly RAK is diversifying its tourism offering.”
The report highlights several key developments shaping Ras
Al Khaimah’s future event capacity.
These include land
designated for a potential convention centre within the Marjan Beach District
masterplan, ongoing upgrades to RAK International Airport, and improved road
connectivity across major tourism and business districts. Additionally, the
development of Grade A office buildings at RAK Central is attracting strong
corporate demand, creating a modern business hub that complements the Emirate’s
growing MICE infrastructure. By 2027, visitors to RAK will also be able to use
an air taxi service, reducing travel time to 15 minutes between Dubai and Ras
Al Khaimah, significantly enhancing access for business travellers and event
delegates.
The research highlights alignment across public and private
stakeholders, with RAKTDA, Marjan and RAKEZ working closely with hotel
operators, event organisers, DMCs, PCOs and wedding planners.
Increased investment
in destination marketing, targeted incentive programmes and a single-window
approach for event organisers with RAKTDA are enhancing the Emirate’s
competitiveness.
Hotel venues continue to anchor RAK’s MICE offering, but
demand is now outpacing available capacity, underscoring the need for scalability
across the entire service ecosystem.
This includes not only expanded meeting facilities, breakout
rooms and adaptable event space, but also high-quality catering, advanced audiovisual
solutions, and specialised event production services to deliver large-scale
seamless experiences.
The report also benchmarks RAK with other regional MICE
hubs, noting that Dubai and Abu Dhabi are approaching capacity across their
major exhibition and conference venues. This creates clear opportunities for
Ras Al Khaimah to capture high-value events seeking alternative locations
within the UAE.
Competitive pricing, lower CAPEX and OPEX, and the Emirate’s
nature-led visitor experience position it as a complementary choice for
corporate and incentive groups.
In particular, RAK is well placed to capture the growing “bleisure” trend—where business travellers extend their stay for leisure activities, thanks to its unique combination of mountains, beaches and desert landscapes, alongside premium hospitality and adventure offerings. -TradeArabia News Service