Abu Dhabi and Dubai use social media influencers to draw more Saudi tourists

Tourism operators in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are using Saudi social media influencers and promoting attractions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi and theme parks to draw more visitors from the kingdom.

Some of the attractions that brought Saudis to the UAE are now available at home after liberal reforms. Cinemas have opened and musical performances are allowed.

But many Saudis still like to travel to the UAE.

Abu Dhabi opened its doors to 4.9 million hotel guests last year, including 151,496 Saudis, which was an increase of 3 per cent on 2016.

About 60 flights leave the kingdom for the UAE every day, and visitors say the culture, Unesco world heritage sites of Al Ain, traditional markets and smaller towns offer a peaceful escape.

“I love Al Ain because of its heritage,” said Amal Alothaimeen, from Riyadh, who visits the UAE every second year. “It is simple and calm, unlike Dubai and Sharjah.

“My favourite place in Al Ain is the beautiful Hafeet mountain. I hope to visit the Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi some day.”

Many other Saudis are interested in learning more about the UAE’s cultural heritage.

“I like to visit the historical places where I can find old traditional artefacts,” Reem Moraisel said. “I also like to visit the small towns that not many people know about to get a better sense of the culture.”

Ms Moraisel is from the south-western Saudi region of Al Baha, she loves the UAE so much that she and her family moved to Dubai.

Summer in Abu Dhabi has traditionally been a quieter time but that is also changing. The capital’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments had 339,592 visitors during June in an increase of more than 19,000 on the previous year.

They were drawn by events such as Abu Dhabi Summer Season, which runs until August 18 and includes concerts, theatre and comedy shows.

Dubai, meanwhile, hosted 4.7 million international overnight visitors in the first three months of this year. While the numbers of Saudis fell slightly, they remain a key target for the emirate.

Dubai’s tourism chiefs have announced an alliance with Al Tayyar Travel Group, a Saudi company. Al Mosafer, a tourism site run by Al Tayyar, is working with Saudi influencers to promote offers. Among them is Mohammed Alnhet, a Saudi social media influencer with 770,000 followers on Instagram. Alnhet is developing videos of Dubai’s best attractions.

Others including Muhannad Alharbi and Abdulaziz Barnawi have been promoting the UAE’s hotspots.

I like to visit historical places. I also like to visit small towns not many know to get a better sense of the culture REEM MORAISEL Tourist