Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi embarks on comprehensive update of Hotel Classification Manual

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced that it is updating the Abu Dhabi Hotel Classification Manual to reflect travel trends and deepen relationships with stakeholders by providing guidance on quality standards. The manual establishes clear standards in categories from housekeeping to soundproofing to safety, and is used to determine a hotel or resort’s star rating from one to five stars. First produced in 2007, featuring mandatory minimum criteria and rating criteria, the manual was updated in 2018 to add a guest experience index, mystery shopping and product designators. The new edition is designed to build on this work and add further refinements, creating a global benchmark for hospitality excellence and guest experience.
HE Saleh Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “The updated Hotel Classification Manual will deliver on Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 by positioning Abu Dhabi as a thought leader in global hospitality regulation and enhancing the emirate’s alignment with international benchmarks while showcasing unique service excellence elements. It provides granular detail and guidance that chart a clear path for hotels as we meet the strategy’s goal of increasing visitors by more than half between 2023 and 2030.”
The updated manual will have changes in three main areas. It will reflect current global best practices, expand category definitions to widen coverage to more hotels and resorts, and introduce accolades to recognise hotels that exceed expectations in specific areas.
Visitors, hotels and investors will all benefit from the update: visitors through elevated and more consistent hotel experiences, hotels through new opportunities to differentiate their offering via specialised classifications, and investors through streamlined infrastructure requirements that reinforce Abu Dhabi’s status as a premier destination.
The updated manual is expected to be completed by Q2 2026, followed by a grace period for implementation of the new standards.
DCT Abu Dhabi teams involved in the project include tourism planning, strategy and marketing. The department has conducted many focus group sessions with stakeholders in the hotel sector as part of the update process. The process also includes a benchmarking phase during which internal and external specialists assess travel trends, such as artificial intelligence, to determine their impact on the updated manual.
The project is spearheaded by DCT Abu Dhabi’s Licensing, Regulatory and Classification Department (LRCD), which is leading the development and rollout of the updated manual. LRCD will oversee the implementation phase, ensuring hotels are fully supported during the transition period and that the new standards are applied consistently across the emirate. By guiding both regulation and execution, LRCD is safeguarding quality while setting a global benchmark that reflects Abu Dhabi’s distinctive hospitality identity.