If you have a cousin, sibling, or old friend settled in Dubai, this might be the perfect time to finally book that trip you’ve both been talking about for years.
Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism has just launched a new initiative called “A Dubai Invite,” and it’s designed to do exactly what its name suggests: get residents to bring their loved ones to the city. Between 20 July and 31 October 2026, UAE residents can nominate friends or family living abroad, and if those guests actually show up in Dubai during this window, the resident host unlocks a rewards package worth more than AED3,000.
Here’s the twist that makes this genuinely useful if you’re planning a Dubai holiday: the benefits don’t go to you, the visitor. They go to whoever invited you. Which means if you have someone in Dubai who nominates you, they end up with free perks, and you end up with a much better trip, since most hosts pass on hotel discounts, dining deals, and attraction tickets to the very guests who triggered the reward in the first place.
The mechanics are simple. Your relative or friend in Dubai fills out an online nomination form with your details and expected arrival date, before you land. Up to five people can be nominated in one submission, and there’s no cap on how many separate nominations someone can make, though each host can only redeem a maximum of three reward packages overall. The moment you enter Dubai by air, sea, or road on a valid tourist or visit visa, your arrival is automatically verified through immigration records, no separate check-in or paperwork needed on your end.
Once that verification happens, your host receives an email containing their full benefits package along with redemption instructions. The rewards themselves cover a wide range of categories. Several hotel groups are participating, including IHG properties offering a third night free on two-night stays, and Meliá Desert Palm offering steep discounts on rooms alongside spa and dining credits. There are also dining offers, attraction tickets, and transport perks through Careem, including a complimentary Careem Plus membership and 20 per cent off Careem rides and Hala taxi bookings, all designed to be used together as one combined package.
Timing matters here, and it’s worth paying close attention to. Nominated guests need to arrive in Dubai on or before 31 October 2026 for the visit to count. Residents making nominations are expected to complete their registrations by 30 September 2026, so if you’re the one being invited, it’s worth nudging your host to submit the form well before your travel dates rather than waiting until the last minute. Once the benefits package is issued, most rewards remain valid until 31 December 2026, though individual hotels and attractions can set their own specific expiry dates, so it pays to read each offer carefully before booking anything.
There is a catch worth flagging honestly. This scheme runs during Dubai’s hottest and most humid stretch of the year, a period that typically sees fewer tourists compared to the cooler winter months. That’s not a reason to skip the opportunity, since many hotels and attractions are significantly less crowded during this window, and the discounts on offer are steeper precisely because operators want to fill rooms. But it does mean packing for serious heat, and planning your outdoor sightseeing around early mornings or evenings.
For anyone who has been putting off a Dubai trip because of the cost, this initiative effectively hands your host a financial incentive to make your visit happen, and hands you a better deal on the ground once you arrive. The eligibility rules are fairly light too. The host needs to be a UAE resident or citizen with a valid Emirates ID, and the visitor needs to be a genuine non-resident travelling on a proper tourist or visit visa. Flights, visas, and accommodation booking remain the visitor’s own responsibility, since the programme only covers rewards and discounts, not travel logistics.
So if a trip to Dubai has been sitting on your list, this is worth a quick message to whoever you know there. A five-minute form on their end could translate into real savings on your hotel, your dinners, and your day trips once you land.
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