Dubai offering £600 rewards to residents who lure friends there as tourists

It comes after tourism numbers were hit hard by the conflict in the Middle East.

Yes, that's right, all those people who say they couldn't be paid to visit Dubai can now put that to the test as a new scheme is offering exactly that.

Under the Dubai Invite scheme, residents who manage to get friends and family to visit the popular tourist spot can be rewarded 3,000 UAE (£610).

The scheme comes as part of an initiative by the Department of Economy and Tourism in light of dropping visitor numbers due to the ongoing war between Iran and the USA.

Rewards include "benefit packages" which can range from hotel stays to tickets to attractions.

Residents can claim three benefit packages for visitors arriving before 31 October, which can be redeemed until December.

Tourists must not be UAE residents, must have a valid tourist visa and can only be nominated under the scheme once.

According to local media, the programme received more than 100,000 applications in its first 48 hours.

The Department of Economy and Transport said that just under 20 million people visited the emirate in 2025, although this number has dropped significantly.

Videos from the emirate went viral of attacks hitting Dubai earlier this year as attempts were made to stop people sharing images.