Dubai wants you to come back, and it is building a members-only club to make that happen. On November 1, 2026, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, announced two new tourism initiatives. The first is Dubai Access Club, which the government calls the world's first city-led, invitation-only tourism membership program. The second lets travelers apply for tourist visas through Visit Dubai, the city's official tourism website.
Both are set to roll out during November 2026, according to the Government of Dubai Media Office announcement.
What Dubai Access Club is
Dubai Access Club is a membership program for repeat visitors. The government says invited members will get "exclusive experiences, services and benefits," and that the program is meant to make returning to Dubai "easier and more rewarding."
That is about all the official detail there is for now. The announcement does not say:
- who gets an invitation, or how many trips it takes to qualify
- what the actual perks are
- whether it costs anything to join
- whether it ties in with airline programs like Emirates Skywards
So treat any list of "Access Club perks" you see online with caution until Dubai publishes one. What the government has said is that the club will bring together "exclusive offers and benefits" and is part of a long-term push to build lasting ties with visitors who keep coming back.
Cities have long courted big spenders through hotel, airline and credit card programs. A loyalty club run by a city government itself is a different idea. If the perks turn out to be meaningful, it could give frequent Dubai visitors a reason to pick the city over other hubs for a stopover or a long weekend.
Tourist visas on Visit Dubai
The second change is more practical. Visit Dubai will begin taking applications for single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visas. The government says it plans to add more visa categories later.
The goal is to put visa applications in the same place travelers already go to look up attractions, book tickets, browse events and plan trips. Visit Dubai's visa page now invites travelers to "apply for your tourist visa online."
One thing does not change. The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, known as GDRFA Dubai, still reviews applications and issues visas. The government says more service details will be announced "in due course." It has not published fees, processing times or eligibility rules for the new option in its announcement, so check the official Visit Dubai and GDRFA pages before you apply.
Travelers from many countries can already enter the UAE without applying for a visa in advance. This new option matters most for visitors whose passports require one. Rules vary by passport, so confirm your own requirements with official UAE sources before you book.
Who is behind it
The two programs were built by three Dubai government bodies working together: GDRFA Dubai, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and Digital Dubai. They fall under the Shared Digital Channels Initiative, which Sheikh Hamdan approved in February 2025. That effort aims to group public and private services onto seven unified digital platforms.
Officials framed both moves as part of the Dubai Economic Agenda, known as D33. One of its stated goals is to rank Dubai among the world's top three destinations for business and leisure travel.
"These initiatives are about removing barriers, creating greater value for visitors and giving people more reasons to return to Dubai," said Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of the Department of Economy and Tourism.
What it means for travelers
For now, there is nothing to sign up for. Dubai Access Club is by invitation only, and the city has not said how invitations will go out. If you visit Dubai often, keep an eye on Visit Dubai over the coming weeks for details.
If you are flying through Dubai International, you can browse its lounges on our DXB airport page. Emirates, which is based there, has its own guide on our Emirates page. For the latest on which airlines are flying to Dubai right now, see our roundup of airline return dates.
We will update this story once Dubai shares who qualifies for the Access Club and what members actually get.
