As brands and marketers set up their strategies for 2025, Shamal has released a white paper that dissects the UAE’s experience economy in an effort to reveal what residents in the Emirates prefer to spend their money on.
With responses collected from 1,014 people with a monthly income of more than AED 8,000, Shamal’s ‘Understanding the UAE’s experience economy’ white paper for 2025 was written to offer a comprehensive deep dive into the current experience economy in the UAE, with the aim of driving conversation around its continued evolution.
The research reveals a notable shift in demand from goods to experiences and highlights rising preferences for entertainment, dining and travel, with a trend towards local exploration rather than international adventures.
75 per cent of residents are more willing than ever to seek, spend on, and prioritise experiences.
“Dubai’s experience economy is witnessing unprecedented growth, as highlighted by the latest statistics from the World Travel & Tourism Council,” said Abdulla Binhabtoor, Chief Executive Officer of Shamal.
“As social beings, we naturally seek meaningful interactions and connections—experiences provide the platform for these remarkable moments,” he said.
Social media, family, and friends strongly influence experience choices, while the pursuit of authenticity, hyper-personalisation, and digital innovation continue to shape the experience landscape.
Eight out of 10 survey respondents said they allocated a specific budget for enjoying experiences at least once each month, and a quarter would happily spend more. When looking for information or inspiration, around two-thirds head to social media or turn to friends and family, with less than a fifth relying on direct communication from a brand.
Going out for a day at the beach and enjoying water sports feature strongly in must-haves for short experiences, and family fun is the top choice for a weekend break. Shows and concerts are popular, and bucket list experiences include a yacht trip, skydiving, hot air ballooning and riding in a helicopter.
“Dubai is the experience capital of the world. They got into the experience business to become a place where people want to come and tour and where they want to come and live. It is the creation of new-to-the-world experiences out of whole cloth. That requires a high degree of innovation,” said B. Joseph Pine II, an experience economy expert.
The white paper also shares insight and opinion on the shift from spending on material purchases to experiences, and why experiential consumption benefits those within the economy from a psychosocial perspective. The research also offers an analysis of external factors affecting the experience economy, such as population, technology, innovation and strategic diversification.
