The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) has released an updated report showing the UAE’s wellness economy is now worth US$40.8 billion (€37.7 billion, £30.6 billion).

The new valuations provide an update to the figures published earlier this year.

The report, which was created in partnership with real estate developer Aldar, shows the UAE’s wellness economy grew 14.3 per cent between 2019 and 2024 – presenting the fastest growth in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region.

The new report shows the UAE ranks number one in the region in various wellness sectors, according to the latest figures from 2024, including:

• Wellness real estate (US$1.4 billion, €1.2 billion, £1.05 billion)
• Personal care and beauty (US$14.8 billion, €12.7 billion, £11.1 billion)
• Spa revenue (US$2.9 billion, €2.5 billion, £2.2 billion)

It also has the fastest-growing wellness sectors in the MENA countries for public health, prevention and personalised medicine; physical activity and workplace wellness.

Susie Ellis, GWI chair and CEO, said: “In recent years, the UAE’s wellness real estate sector has surged, growing an impressive 22.8 per cent from 2019 to 2024. And with new properties like SHA Emirates and Aldar’s Fahid Island – Abu Dhabi’s first coastal wellness destination – on the horizon, the wellness real estate market is poised to grow even further.”

The UAE’s wellness tourism sector has grown by 23.5 per cent (compound annual growth rate), which the GWI attributes, in part, to the UAE’s tourism strategy.

The full 2019-2024 report is available on the GWI’s Geography of Wellness platform.