Tourism Dirham Calculator: UAE Hotel Tourism Fees per Night

How is the Tourism Dirham calculated?

The Tourism Dirham is a fee Dubai charges for each occupied room, for each night of your stay. The amount depends on the type and class of the property, not on the price you paid for the room. It is capped at 30 consecutive nights, so a long stay stops adding the fee after night 30.

The formula is simple: fee per night x number of rooms x number of nights (up to 30). The calculator does this for you and adds up the total for your stay.

What do other emirates charge?

• Abu Dhabi: a 4% tourism fee plus a 4% municipality fee, both on the room rate. That is 8% in total. The old AED 15 per night fee was removed in September 2023. Because these are percentages, the calculator needs your room rate.
• Ras Al Khaimah: AED 15 per room per night.
• Sharjah: we have not been able to confirm a per-night fee amount, so the calculator does not include Sharjah. Ask your hotel what it adds.

A worked example

Say a family books 2 rooms at a 4-star hotel in Dubai for 5 nights.

• AED 15 x 2 rooms x 5 nights = AED 150 in Tourism Dirham.

Now a business traveller stays 40 nights in a 5-star hotel in Dubai, in one room. The fee only applies to 30 consecutive nights:

• AED 20 x 1 room x 30 nights = AED 600, not AED 800.

Then the same family spends 3 nights in Abu Dhabi in one room at AED 600 a night:

• 8% x AED 600 = AED 48 a night, x 3 nights = AED 144.

And a weekend of 4 nights in Ras Al Khaimah, one room: AED 15 x 4 = AED 60.

When does the Tourism Dirham apply?

It applies to stays in licensed tourist accommodation: hotels, resorts, hotel apartments, guest houses and holiday homes, which is why holiday homes booked through a rental platform have their own rates in the table. If you stay with friends or family, or rent an apartment on a normal yearly tenancy, there is no Tourism Dirham to pay. Residents pay it too when they book a staycation, because the fee depends on the room, not on your passport or visa.

Rules to know

• Hotels add these fees to your bill, usually at check-out. They are on top of the room rate, and many booking sites do not include them in the price they show.
• In Dubai, the fee is per room, not per guest. Two people sharing one room pay one fee.
• The 30-night cap in Dubai applies to consecutive nights in one stay.
• Fee rules can change. The official list is on the UAE government portal.

Tips for budgeting

• Read the booking terms. If you see "excludes local taxes and fees", expect the Tourism Dirham at check-out.
• Compare classes, not just room rates. On a 10-night stay, a 5-star hotel adds AED 200 per room in Dubai, while a 3-star hotel adds AED 100.
• For a long stay, remember the cap. Nights 31 and beyond carry no Tourism Dirham in Dubai.
• Keep some cash or card limit free for check-out. It is a small amount, but it often surprises people.

To plan the rest of your spending, use the trip budget planner and the itinerary builder. Still choosing where to stay? See our top hotels in Dubai and the reasons to visit Ras Al Khaimah.