The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched a new edition of the Abu Dhabi Hotel Classification Manual during Arabian Travel Market, the Middle East’s leading event for the travel industry.
The updated manual establishes new standards for guest experience and service quality through expanded classification categories, greater alignment with international hospitality classification practices and standards, and enhanced sustainability requirements.
A new recognition layer of seven accolades has also been introduced, rewarding hotels that demonstrate excellence in areas such as Emirati Dhiyafa, Green Excellence, Wellness, and Hospitality Innovation.
HE Hamad Mohammed Sudain, Executive Director of Support Services at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “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.”
First introduced in 2007 and updated in 2018, the manual sets comprehensive and measurable standards for hotel classification, covering service excellence, facilities management, health and safety, and sustainability practices. The latest edition enhances and refines these criteria to reflect evolving global hospitality trends, elevate guest experience benchmarks, and align with the ambitions of Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030, reinforcing the emirate’s commitment to quality, competitiveness, and sustainable sector growth.
The new edition is designed to build on and refine this work, establishing a reference point for hospitality standards. Through the incorporation of international standards, Abu Dhabi’s hospitality sector will maintain competitiveness and quality.
Visitors, hotels, and investors will all benefit from the update: visitors through improved and consistent hotel experiences, hotels through opportunities to differentiate their offering via specialised classifications, and investors through adjusted infrastructure requirements that reinforce Abu Dhabi’s status as a premier destination.
DCT Abu Dhabi announced the update was forthcoming following consultation with hospitality stakeholders across the emirate, and a grace period is provided to all hotel establishments for the seamless implementation of the new standards.
The project is spearheaded by DCT Abu Dhabi’s Licensing and Regulatory Compliance Department (LRCD), which is leading the development and rollout of the updated manual. LRCD is overseeing the implementation phase, ensuring hotels are fully supported during the transition period and that the new standards are applied consistently across the emirate.
