Marbella is once again attracting high-spending Arab tourists drawn to its five-star hotels and designer boutiques. Despite geopolitical uncertainty, the city expects a strong summer season, with wealthy visitors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar already arriving.
In the run-up to the peak months of July and August, local businesses and hoteliers are optimistic, though some express concern about the impact of the conflict in the Middle East and airspace closures. According to Aena, Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport will operate five direct routes to the region this summer.
Also younger Arab tourists
The influx typically follows Ramadan, which this year took place from 28 February to 29 March. According to regional newspaper Málaga Hoy this timing has encouraged the arrival of younger Arab tourists from early May, noted Laura de Arce, Marbella’s Tourism Director. She emphasised that the main holiday period remains July and August, when high temperatures in the Gulf and school holidays drive demand for the Costa del Sol.
Significant spending power
While Arab travellers represent a smaller market compared to British or Spanish visitors, they have an outsized impact due to their significant spending power. “These are clients who travel, spend and consume in high-end venues like Puerto Banús,” De Arce explained.
Marbella has enjoyed a long-standing reputation as a luxury destination since the 1980s, when Saudi royalty, including King Fahd and the current monarch Salman bin Abdulaziz, made it their summer retreat. After a lull, the last decade has seen a steady return of affluent Arab families who now consider Marbella their second home.
Five-star accommodation in demand
The city’s range of luxury hotels remains a major draw. The Don Pepe Gran Meliá, for example, has made the Arab market its priority during summer, with guests mainly from Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Noelia Castillo, the hotel’s director, said Arab visitors are their “second largest nationality” in high season, though this year bookings have been more cautious due to regional instability and last-minute cancellations.
Nevertheless, she expects a recovery in the coming weeks, with Arab clients rescheduling trips slightly later than usual. The hotel anticipates that Arab guests will account for 25–30% of summer occupancy, typically booking superior rooms or entire floors for stays of seven to ten days.
Puente Romano and Nobu popular
Other luxury establishments, such as Puente Romano and Nobu, forecast that Arab tourists will represent around 30% of their guests. Gonzalo Rodríguez, who oversees both hotels, reported a 10% increase in bookings compared with 2024, with average nightly rates exceeding €2,000. Meanwhile, the recently opened Gran Marbella Resort & Beach Club is also seeing growing demand from Arab clients, who now account for up to 20% of occupancy.
Spending power concentrated in Puerto Banús
Arab tourists remain the leading luxury shoppers in Puerto Banús, where spending has nearly doubled—rising by 195% compared to 2019. The average Arab visitor in Europe spends €59,000 per trip, with Marbella joining Paris, Milan and Monaco as a preferred destination.
In Puerto Banús, fashion and leather goods are the most popular purchases, with average daily receipts of around €1,000. Although retailers expect this strong trend to continue, some note a quieter start to the season, partly attributed to geopolitical tensions.
Arab clients spend without hesitation
Omnia Mahdaoni, who works in a boutique on Plaza de los Naranjos, observed: “Yes, there are Arab tourists, but it’s not as busy as last year. They’re clients who spend without hesitation.” Salvador Soto, owner of a local churrería once favoured by King Salman, echoed this view: “The royal families still come, but in smaller numbers.”
Others, like Victoria Cortés of Pasaje Victoria, were more pessimistic: “I haven’t seen any Arab clients yet. Before Covid, August was when we’d make sales to them, and now they’ve disappeared.”
Even so, most hoteliers remain hopeful that late bookings will boost figures in July and August. As De Arce concluded, “Marbella continues to be a top destination for the Arab market. This is their home away from home.”
Andalucia’s luxury real estate market attracts global investment