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Dubai Invite Scheme explained: Eligibility, rewards and impact on Indian travellers
Dubai Invite Scheme offers eligible UAE residents benefits worth up to 3,000 dirhams for inviting overseas visitors. Here's who qualifies and how the programme works.
Dubai International Airport, overall, handled more than 95 million passengers in 2025, which witnessed a year-on-year increase of 3.1 per cent. (AI Generated image)
Dubai has launched a new referral programme that rewards eligible UAE residents with benefits worth up to 3,000 dirhams for inviting overseas visitors, including Indians, as the emirate seeks to revive tourism hit by the ongoing West Asia conflict. Here’s who qualifies, what the rewards are, and what it means for Indian travellers.
This follows Iran’s retaliatory strikes after a joint attack by the US and Israel in February that plunged the region into a military conflict that had global impacts. Tehran’s attacks on American bases in the Gulf region, including areas in Dubai, shattered the image of the emirate as a haven that was so far untouched by its geopolitical reality.
Dubai’s infrastructure was targeted. Emirati air defences intercepted a major chunk of incoming missiles and drones, but falling debris and the projectiles that managed to evade the defences caused fires and disruption in the city.
Dubai’s plan to attract tourists
Under the UAE government’s Dubai Invite scheme, residents of the United Arab Emirates will be able to nominate friends and family members to travel to Dubai, and receive benefits of up to 3,000 dirhams (around $816) if they visit.
According to Visit Dubai’s website, residents stand to receive a “benefits package” that could include dining deals, attraction tickets, and hotel stays, among others. As per the eligibility criteria, each resident of the UAE is entitled to a maximum of three benefit packages for visitors arriving before October 31, though the benefits can be redeemed until December, according to the Department of Economy and Tourism.
The offer stands valid for those who are aged over 18 and possess a valid Emirates ID. The website added that nominated visitors must be non-UAE residents with a valid tourist visa arriving by “air, sea or road,” The Guardian reported.
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Travel · Dubai · India
Dubai's new tourist referral scheme, explained
“A Dubai Invite” rewards UAE residents with perks worth over AED 3,000 for bringing overseas friends and family to visit — but there's a registration deadline to watch.
From nomination to reward
👤
A UAE resident nominates a friend or relativeRegister their details on the official Visit Dubai portal, before they travel.
✈︎
The visitor travels to DubaiArriving by air, sea or road within the campaign window.
✅
Arrival is verified automaticallyDubai's systems confirm the entry — no separate claim needed.
🎁
The resident earns rewards worth over AED 3,000Emailed within days — hotel stays, dining and attraction offers.
Watch the dates: guests must arrive between July 20 and October 31, 2026, but residents must register them by September 30 — so nominate early rather than waiting for the travel date.
Who qualifies
The host (resident)
A UAE resident or citizen
Aged 18 or older
Holds a valid Emirates ID
Registers guests on the official portal
The guest (visitor)
A non-UAE resident
On a tourist visa or visa-on-arrival
Arrives by air, sea or road
Can be nominated only once
The referral limit: you can nominate as many guests as you like (up to five per form), but a resident can earn a maximum of three reward packages across the whole campaign — one per guest party. The scheme does not arrange visas.
Why Dubai is doing this now
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The US-Israel conflict with Iran escalates across the region.
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Gulf airspace is disrupted, with diversions and temporary closures.
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Tourism confidence takes a hit; arrivals slow after months of disruption.
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Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism launches “A Dubai Invite.”
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Residents become ambassadors — turning personal invitations into arrivals. Over 10,000 applications came in the first 48 hours.
Per Dubai's DET and Gulf news outlets. The programme is framed as a drive to rebuild arrivals after the disruption.
AED 3,000+
in benefits per reward package (not cash — offers & vouchers)
What's inside the package
🍴
Dining vouchers
Deals at restaurants across the city
🏨
Hotel stays
Offers with partner hotels
🎡️
Attraction tickets
Entry to landmark experiences
🎉
Lifestyle perks
Leisure and other tourism offers
Rewards are issued from August 2026 by email and are valid until December 31, 2026, unless an individual offer expires earlier.
Why Indian travellers should pay attention
🇮🇳
India was Dubai's largest international market in 2025 — ahead of Saudi Arabia and the UK.
✈︎
Nearly 12 million passengers travelled between India and Dubai last year.
🎁
Indian visitors nominated by UAE-based friends or relatives can help those hosts unlock the rewards.
✅
UAE airports are operating normally, with Dubai actively courting arrivals.
Dubai tourism at a glance
95.2M
DXB passengers in 2025 (a record)
11.9M
from India — its biggest market
Oct 31
last day for guests to arrive
Sep 30
deadline to register guests
Airport figures per Dubai Airports (2025). Rewards valid to Dec 31, 2026.
Sources: Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (“A Dubai Invite”) · Visit Dubai · Khaleej Times · Gulf News · Arabian Business · Dubai Airports. Confirm current terms on the official Visit Dubai portal before nominating.
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How Dubai’s plan may impact Indians
The decision could affect Indians visiting the UAE as India retained its top position in international passenger traffic at the Dubai International Airport in 2025. According to data, the Dubai airport handled close to 12 million passengers from India in 2025.
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Dubai International Airport, overall, handled more than 95 million passengers in 2025, which witnessed a year-on-year increase of 3.1 per cent.
But airports in the region were shut when the US-Iran war broke out. Though all the major airports in the UAE remain open and operational currently, Gulf News reported.
Dubai locations hit in US-Iran war
Dubai International Airport: The UAE authorities had directed the diversion of some flights from Dubai’s airport, one of the world’s busiest, after Iran’s drone attack had sparked a fire near the facility. The airport was forced to temporarily close in March.
Palm Jumeirah: The island in Dubai faced fires and property damage as videos showed smoke and flames outside the Fairmont Hotel, located directly opposite the Dubai World Trade Centre. The Dubai Media Office had confirmed that an “incident” in a building on the Palm Jumeirah injured four people.
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Burj Al Arab: The luxury hotel in Dubai also intercepted drone debris that sparked a minor fire on the outer side of the building.
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