Abu Dhabi Launches New Emirati Hospitality Standards for Hotels

Abu Dhabi has launched 65 Emirati Dhiyafa standards covering eight stages of the hotel guest journey. Full implementation begins in Q1 2027, with requirements spanning local cuisine, hospitality traditions, cultural knowledge and staff training.

Abu Dhabi has introduced the Emirati Dhiyafa (Hospitality) Standards, a new framework designed to integrate Emirati culture, traditions and national identity into the guest experience across hotels and hotel apartments in the emirate. The initiative, launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), is scheduled for full implementation from the first quarter of 2027. 

The framework comprises 65 standards covering eight stages of the guest journey, creating a structured approach to incorporating local customs into hotel operations. The standards are intended to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s tourism proposition while supporting the UAE’s broader Emirati National Identity Strategy.

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Among the requirements are measures designed to give visitors a more direct experience of Emirati hospitality. Hotels will be expected to offer traditional Emirati coffee and dates, incorporate traditional dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients, and introduce elements reflecting the UAE’s heritage and history.

Staff training is another important component of the framework. Reception and guest-service employees will be required to develop knowledge of Emirati heritage, culture and history, enabling frontline teams to communicate local traditions more effectively with international and domestic visitors.

The standards also draw on traditional Emirati codes of conduct and etiquette, including Al Sana’, alongside values associated with the country’s authentic hospitality culture. DCT Abu Dhabi said the framework is intended to translate these cultural practices into measurable standards that can be applied consistently across the hospitality sector.

Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said the standards are aimed at enhancing every stage of the visitor journey by combining professional hospitality with local traditions and a sense of genuine welcome.

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The initiative forms part of Abu Dhabi’s wider tourism development strategy, which seeks to strengthen the emirate’s position as an international destination while preserving and showcasing its cultural identity. By incorporating locally rooted experiences into hotel operations, the framework is expected to create greater consistency in how visitors encounter Emirati traditions.

The standards could also encourage hotels to deepen engagement with local suppliers, food producers, cultural institutions and heritage initiatives as they adapt their guest experiences. For the hospitality industry, the framework represents a shift toward combining international service expectations with a more distinctive destination identity.

With implementation planned for 2027, hotels and hotel apartments across Abu Dhabi will have to prepare their operations and staff for the new requirements, positioning Emirati culture as a more visible part of the emirate’s tourism offering.