There is a different rhythm to Fujairah. Beyond the glass towers and manicured avenues of the UAE’s better-known cities, the landscape rises dramatically into the Hajar Mountains, while the Gulf of Oman stretches out towards the horizon. It is a side of the Emirates that feels wilder, more elemental and, increasingly, rather irresistible.
At last night’s World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony at One&Only One Za’abeel in Dubai, Fujairah received international recognition for precisely those qualities, collecting five emirate-level awards across its hotels, resorts and travel industry. The ceremony, held on 13 September, brought together the region’s leading tourism and hospitality names, with Fujairah emerging with a particularly compelling collection of victories.
The evening’s most notable hotel honour went to Royal M Hotel By Gewan Fujairah, named Fujairah’s Leading Hotel 2026. The award reflects the emirate’s increasingly sophisticated urban hospitality offering, providing a complement to the oceanfront resorts that have traditionally defined Fujairah’s tourism proposition.
Yet it was the coastline, and the resorts that sit between mountain and sea, that provided the most evocative chapter of Fujairah’s success. Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort was named Fujairah’s Leading Resort 2026, reclaiming a title that has a long association with the property. The resort has previously won the Fujairah award several times, including in 2017 and 2012, and its latest victory underlines the enduring appeal of the Al Aqah coastline.
Here, the geography does much of the work. The Hajar Mountains form a dramatic backdrop while the beach opens onto the Gulf of Oman, creating a setting that feels markedly different from the urban waterfronts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For travellers seeking a UAE escape with a stronger sense of landscape, it is a powerful combination.
Address Beach Resort Fujairah was another major winner, taking Fujairah’s Leading Family Resort 2026. The property has become a significant part of the emirate’s upscale family proposition, offering the kind of beachfront setting that allows a holiday to move effortlessly between pool, sand and sea.
The award also represents a change in the way Fujairah is being positioned. The emirate is no longer simply a place for a short coastal break; its resorts are increasingly competing for travellers seeking complete leisure experiences, particularly families looking for space, beaches, outdoor activities and the relative calm of an eastern-coast setting.
The luxury end of the market was represented by Royal Suite @ Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort, named Fujairah’s Leading Hotel Suite 2026. The recognition adds another layer to Fairmont Fujairah’s established reputation and reinforces the emirate’s growing ability to deliver high-end accommodation alongside its natural attractions.
Completing Fujairah’s five victories was Orient Travel, which was named Fujairah’s Leading Travel Agency 2026. It is an important part of the story because the World Travel Awards recognition extends beyond the hotels themselves to the infrastructure that connects visitors with the destination.
What makes Fujairah increasingly interesting, however, is what lies beyond the awards. The emirate possesses a rare combination of landscapes within the UAE: mountains, beaches, wadis, desert and marine environments, all compressed into a relatively compact destination. The result is a place where a luxury beach holiday can be combined with mountain drives, diving, hiking, cultural encounters and excursions into some of the country’s most dramatic scenery.
Its location on the Gulf of Oman gives Fujairah another important point of difference. The coastline has long been known for its marine life and watersports, while the mountains offer an entirely different perspective on the Emirates. The destination can feel adventurous without requiring travellers to sacrifice comfort, which is increasingly important to the modern luxury traveller.
That balance may be one of Fujairah’s greatest assets. Across the Middle East, luxury tourism is moving beyond the traditional idea of the five-star hotel. Travellers want landscapes, experiences and a stronger connection with the destination itself. Fujairah is unusually well placed to deliver all three.
There is also a sense that the emirate is entering a new phase of accessibility. The launch of passenger services on the Etihad Rail network between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah in 2026 has created a new connection to the eastern coast, while hotels across the emirate have been working with the rail network on offers designed to encourage visitors to explore Fujairah. The new service has already generated increased interest in local hotels and tourism businesses.
That improved connectivity arrives at an interesting moment. Fujairah is no longer waiting to be discovered by accident; it is becoming easier to reach, easier to explore and increasingly difficult to overlook.
The World Travel Awards results also place Fujairah within the wider transformation of UAE tourism. Dubai continues to dominate the region in terms of scale and spectacle, Abu Dhabi is developing an increasingly sophisticated cultural and luxury proposition, Sharjah is drawing travellers through heritage and nature, and Ajman is emerging as a destination in its own right. Fujairah adds something different: a more dramatic relationship between resort, sea and mountain.
Its five awards therefore feel particularly appropriate. They celebrate not just individual properties and businesses, but the ingredients of a destination that is becoming more complete.
For the traveller, the appeal is wonderfully straightforward. Days can begin on a quiet stretch of beach, move into the mountains by afternoon and finish with dinner overlooking the Gulf of Oman. There are no skyscrapers necessary, no record-breaking attractions required. Fujairah’s drama comes naturally, written into the landscape.
And perhaps that is why the emirate’s World Travel Awards success feels timely. The future of Gulf tourism is not necessarily about building ever bigger. It is also about discovering what already exists — and presenting it with enough confidence, care and imagination to make the world want to come and experience it.
Fujairah has the mountains. It has the sea. It has the resorts. And now, after a successful evening at the World Travel Awards, it has another valuable ingredient: the international recognition to match its natural appeal.
Fujairah secured five emirate-level awards at last night’s Middle East Gala Ceremony in Dubai.
Fujairah’s World Travel Awards 2026 winners
Fujairah’s Leading Hotel 2026 — Royal M Hotel By Gewan Fujairah
Fujairah’s Leading Resort 2026 — Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort
Fujairah’s Leading Family Resort 2026 — Address Beach Resort Fujairah
Fujairah’s Leading Hotel Suite 2026 — Royal Suite @ Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort
Fujairah’s Leading Travel Agency 2026 — Orient Travel
The results underline Fujairah’s growing strength as a beach, family and luxury resort destination, with its dramatic Hajar Mountain backdrop and Gulf of Oman coastline providing a distinctive alternative to the UAE’s more urban destinations.
Five awards, five different aspects of Fujairah’s tourism proposition: from the Royal M Hotel and Le Méridien Al Aqah to Address Beach Resort and Fairmont’s Royal Suite, alongside recognition for the travel trade itself.
