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The Intelligence Centre of Ras Al Khaimah

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Organization Profile

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority

The government authority responsible for promoting and developing Ras Al Khaimah as a premium, sustainable tourism destination.

The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) is the government body charged with positioning Ras Al Khaimah as a distinctive, sustainable tourism destination. Founded in 2011 under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, it develops tourism infrastructure, licenses hotels and tour operators, and markets the emirate to international travellers.

Its published target is 3.5 million annual visitors by 2030, roughly two and a half times the 1.35 million the emirate recorded in 2025, alongside a plan to double hotel room stock over the same period. That second number is the harder one: visitor growth can be marketed into existence, but rooms have to be built, which is why much of the authority's public activity now sits alongside the hotel pipeline on Al Marjan Island and Mina Al Arab.

The domestic and regional market is carrying more of the growth than the headline figures suggest. Ras Al Khaimah recorded about 670,000 domestic visitors in the first half of 2026, up 47 percent year on year, a rate well ahead of total arrivals growth. That shift matters commercially, because domestic and GCC visitors behave differently from long-haul tourists on booking windows, length of stay and seasonality.

RAKTDA's remit is wider than advertising. It licenses the emirate's hotels and tour operators, which makes it the authority of record for how many rooms and operators legally exist, and it pursues tourism investment directly. Its September 2026 marketing agreement with Emirates is characteristic of the current approach: rather than wait for direct long-haul air access into Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, it packages the emirate as an add-on for travellers already flying into Dubai.

Key facts

At-a-glance profile of RAKTDA
Target visitors by 2030	3.5 million annual visitors
2030 hotel room target	double current stock
2025 arrivals	1.35 million visitors
H1 2026 domestic visitors	670,000 (+47% YoY)
Responsible for	destination marketing, hotel licensing, tourism investment
Founded	2011
Emirates partnership	marketing MoU signed September 2026 (packaging, not a new RKT route)

Leadership

Chairman

His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah

CEO / Managing Director

Raki Phillips

Frequently asked questions

What does RAKTDA do?

RAKTDA is the Ras Al Khaimah government's tourism authority. It markets the emirate internationally, develops tourism infrastructure, pursues tourism investment, and licenses the emirate's hotels and tour operators. That licensing role makes it the authority of record for how many hotels and operators legally trade in Ras Al Khaimah.

What is RAKTDA's 2030 visitor target?

3.5 million annual visitors by 2030, against 1.35 million recorded in 2025, roughly a two-and-a-half-fold increase. The authority has also committed to doubling the emirate's hotel room stock over the same period, which is the harder half of the plan because rooms have to be built rather than marketed.

How many visitors did Ras Al Khaimah get in 2025?

1.35 million, a record for the emirate. Momentum continued into 2026: domestic visitors alone reached about 670,000 in the first half of the year, up 47 percent year on year, which is growing faster than total arrivals.

Did RAKTDA get Emirates to fly to Ras Al Khaimah?

No. The September 2026 agreement between RAKTDA and Emirates is a marketing and packaging deal that sells Ras Al Khaimah as an add-on to travellers flying into Dubai. Emirates does not operate scheduled flights into Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, and the agreement does not create one.

Who runs RAKTDA?

Raki Phillips is Chief Executive Officer. The authority was established in 2011 under His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, who chairs it.

Is RAKTDA the same as the Ras Al Khaimah government?

It is a government authority within the emirate, not the government itself, and its remit is tourism specifically. Business licensing and company formation sit with other bodies such as RAKEZ and RAK ICC, and property development with developers like RAK Properties and Al Hamra.