The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched an updated Hotel Classification Manual at Arabian Travel Market, setting revised standards for service quality, sustainability, and guest experience across the emirate’s hospitality sector.
The manual, first introduced in 2007 and last updated in 2018, has been overhauled to reflect shifts in global hospitality practice and to support the emirate’s Tourism Strategy 2030.
The new edition expands classification categories, tightens sustainability requirements, and introduces seven new accolades recognising hotels that demonstrate excellence in areas including Emirati Dhiyafa, Green Excellence, Wellness, and Hospitality Innovation.
“As Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector continues to grow, maintaining the highest standards of quality, service and guest experience remains central to our long-term success. The updated Hotel Classification Manual reinforces these standards while establishing a benchmark that reflects Abu Dhabi’s distinctive approach to hospitality and destination excellence. By providing greater consistency and clarity across the sector, we are strengthening Abu Dhabi’s competitiveness as a leading global destination while ensuring visitors continue to experience the exceptional quality and hospitality for which the emirate is known,” Hamad Mohammed Sudain, Executive Director of Support Services at DCT Abu Dhabi said in a statement.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s Licensing and Regulatory Compliance Department is leading implementation. Hotels will receive a grace period to transition to the new standards, and the department says it will support establishments throughout the process. The update followed consultation with hospitality stakeholders across the emirate.
The revised framework is framed as a benefit to three groups: visitors, through more consistent hotel experiences; hotels, through specialised classification options that allow for greater differentiation; and investors, through clearer infrastructure requirements tied to a defined quality benchmark.
