Etihad Arena hosted UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane on 25 October 2025, attracting 13,220 spectators for the promotion’s 22nd event in Abu Dhabi. Local authorities coordinated with airlines and the General Civil Aviation Authority to add late-night charter slots and opened dedicated e-gates at Abu Dhabi International’s new Terminal A to process fight-week traffic.
The Department of Culture & Tourism (DCT) issued a circular instructing hotels to activate the “Events Visa Fast-Track” service—an online portal that links ticket data to ICP’s visitor-visa system—cutting processing time to under 24 hours. Organisers estimated that 68 % of ticket-holders travelled from overseas, led by the UK, France and the United States, generating an economic impact of AED 135 million.
For mobility planners, the event served as a pilot for handling large-scale leisure migration ahead of 2026’s expanded convention calendar. Corporate travel desks moving assignees through Abu Dhabi during future mega-events should anticipate tighter hotel inventory and factor in extended security screenings for ad-hoc charter arrivals.
Immigration authorities reported average e-gate processing times of 48 seconds, validating recent investments in biometric infrastructure. DCT confirmed that the Fast-Track portal will be re-activated for the Formula 1 Grand Prix in November and for COP31 in 2026, signalling a shift toward event-linked visa facilitation in the UAE’s mobility strategy.
The Department of Culture & Tourism (DCT) issued a circular instructing hotels to activate the “Events Visa Fast-Track” service—an online portal that links ticket data to ICP’s visitor-visa system—cutting processing time to under 24 hours. Organisers estimated that 68 % of ticket-holders travelled from overseas, led by the UK, France and the United States, generating an economic impact of AED 135 million.
For mobility planners, the event served as a pilot for handling large-scale leisure migration ahead of 2026’s expanded convention calendar. Corporate travel desks moving assignees through Abu Dhabi during future mega-events should anticipate tighter hotel inventory and factor in extended security screenings for ad-hoc charter arrivals.
Immigration authorities reported average e-gate processing times of 48 seconds, validating recent investments in biometric infrastructure. DCT confirmed that the Fast-Track portal will be re-activated for the Formula 1 Grand Prix in November and for COP31 in 2026, signalling a shift toward event-linked visa facilitation in the UAE’s mobility strategy.
