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Abu Dhabi expands eligibility for holiday home operators, sets new rule for listings
The revised rules clarify requirements for eligibility, licensing, operations, inspections and compliance
- PUBLISHED: Wed 16 Sept 2026, 10:51 AM UPDATED: Thu 17 Sept 2026, 8:27 PM
Abu Dhabi has introduced updated holiday home regulations, expanding the categories of people and entities eligible to operate them while introducing stricter transparency requirements for listings on digital platforms.
The amended regulations, announced during DCT Abu Dhabi's participation at Arabian Travel Market 2026, consolidate and clarify the end-to-end regulatory requirements for the sector, including eligibility, licensing, operational obligations, inspections, compliance.
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The updated rules are aimed at supporting the growth of the holiday home sector while maintaining standards for safety, quality and guest experience.
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Who can operate a holiday home?
Under the revised regulations, eligible operators can include individual owners, joint owners, legal entities, tenants and people authorised by the property owner, subject to conditions set by DCT Abu Dhabi.
The expanded eligibility is intended to provide greater clarity for those looking to participate in Abu Dhabi’s growing holiday home market.
New requirement for online listings
The updated regulations also introduce greater transparency for holiday home listings on websites and digital platforms.
A holiday home cannot be advertised on a website or digital platform without a valid DCT Abu Dhabi licence. The licence number must also be clearly displayed on the property's listing page.
The requirement is designed to help visitors identify licensed properties and strengthen compliance across online booking platforms.
The revised guidelines ensure high standards of safety, quality, and guest experience across all holiday homes in Abu Dhabi. They also support progress toward the objectives of Tourism Strategy 2030 by further enabling diversification of accommodation offerings beyond traditional hotels.
Growing sector
Hamad Mohammed Sudain, Executive Director of Support Services at DCT Abu Dhabi, said, "The holiday home sector is an increasingly important part of Abu Dhabi’s evolving tourism landscape, responding to changing traveller preferences while broadening the emirate’s accommodation offering. These updated regulations strengthen the sector’s governance framework, enhance transparency and encourage responsible market participation, while safeguarding the high standards of quality and guest experience that define Abu Dhabi as a destination.”
Holiday homes are a growing part of the emirate’s diverse mix of accommodation offerings. In 2025, Abu Dhabi’s supply of holiday homes grew 77 per cent from a year earlier, adding over 2,000 eligible properties and ending the year with 4,771 eligible units.
Guest volumes increased 77 per cent to slightly over 335,000, driven by 114% growth in domestic guests to 82,900 and 68% growth in international visitors to 252,500. Average daily revenue rose 28% to AED 1,887.
