DUBAI, February 6. /TASS/. Moscow hosted over 42,000 tourists from the United Arab Emirates in the past year, breaking a record set in 2019, said Yevgeny Kozlov, first deputy head of the Moscow mayor’s office and chairman of the city committee for tourism.

"The number of tourists from the UAE stood at 42,700 in the first nine months of 2024, more than doubling the record set in 2019. A total of 13,900 tourists from Kuwait visited during the same period, as well as over 9,000 tourists from Qatar," Kozlov specified at a press conference in Dubai.

According to the official, on average, Middle Eastern tourists stay in Moscow for about nine days. One in three visitors from Middle Eastern countries who made trips to Moscow in 2024 plan to return this year. Over the New Year holiday season, citizens from the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and other countries of the region all came to visit Moscow.

"Moscow is rapidly becoming a favorite destination for tourists from the Middle East thanks to its well-developed infrastructure, mild climate and a unique combination of modern amenities and rich traditions," Kozlov stressed.

A delegation of the Moscow committee for tourism visited the UAE as part of a promotion campaign targeting the Gulf countries. It is now expected to make working trips to Kuwait and Qatar.