The Dubai government has committed significant resources to the continual development of its tourism industry. The airport expansion plan at Dubai, due to be completed in 2006, is intended to handle substantial expected growth in passenger numbers. The airport handled 18 million passengers in 2003, 13% increase over 2002, and despite a US$ 540 million expansion project completed in 2000 which increased capacity to 22 million annually, further expansion is now in hand to increase capacity to 60 million by 2010.

The plan for Dubai’s tourism expansion, entitled Dubai Vision 2010, is based on 10 million people visiting Dubai as tourists by 2010. Whilst expansion plans for the airport are still based upon 60 million passengers by 2020 it recently became clear that growth rates were exceeding predictions, so  new plans are being drawn up for further capacity increases so that the airport can  cater for 70 million people a year by 2020.

To accommodate these arrivals Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) anticipate the need for 70,000 - 80,000 extra hotel rooms by the end of the decade. Currently, there are around 275 hotels (including 33 five-star properties) with 25,000 rooms, in addition to 96 hotel apartments and nearly 7,500 furnished apartments within Dubai

In line with the growth in tourism, the retail sector in Dubai is continuing its rapid expansion, both in terms of physical size and profitability. Retail International, a UK-based independent retail consultancy, reported that throughout the UAE the amount of retail space was increasing at a fast pace with Dubai leading the way. Within the next five years, Dubai's share of the Emirate's total retail space will jump from the current 17% to 34% - indicating a further 1.5 million square metres in use by 2009. New investments in retail in Dubai are expected to reach US $10 billion by 2010.