Abu Dhabi grants Airbnb permission to operate in the emirate 

High-quality accommodation options for visitors looking for alternatives to traditional hotels in the UAE capital have been given a significant boost after a new agreement was signed between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and popular international vacation rental platform Airbnb.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will see the two organisations collaborate to promote the holiday home sector in the UAE capital. The MoU follows DCT Abu Dhabi’s request earlier this year for holiday homeowners to register on its new online licensing system to help regulate and enhance this growing market within the tourism sector.

Under the MoU, Airbnb will provide DCT Abu Dhabi with access to its City Portal, which will share important data and insights on the Airbnb platform about rental activities taking place in Abu Dhabi. Airbnb will also launch a dedicated responsible hosting page on the platform, helping new and existing hosts in the emirate with understanding and following local rules for holiday homes. Furthermore, areas of collaboration include supporting DCT Abu Dhabi in encouraging holiday home hosts to comply with regulations and raising awareness of Abu Dhabi’s diversity in accommodation offerings.

HE Saood Al Hosani, Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “The signing of this agreement with Airbnb demonstrates our commitment to expanding accommodation options available in Abu Dhabi that will enhance the emirate as a premier tourism destination in the region. In partnering with the world-leading home rental platform, we are ensuring tourists and residents in Abu Dhabi are provided with more choice for safe and secure short-term accommodation. This cooperation will help us meet the rising demand for high-quality alternatives to established hotels and hotel apartments across Abu Dhabi.”

As a regulator of holiday homes in Abu Dhabi, DCT Abu Dhabi will use such strategic agreements to enable leading holiday home rental platforms to offer short-term rentals responsibly, and to help diversify the growing tourism and hospitality sectors.

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