Band, Baaja, Back? West Asia looks to tie the knot with India

Wedding planners and hoteliers in Dubai and elsewhere in West Asia are hoping for a revival in bookings for Indian destination weddings, after a string of cancellations during the marriage season earlier this year amid concerns over the Iran war.

Wedding industry executives ET spoke with said they started getting inquiries for the first quarter of 2027. Some local authorities are chipping in with sweeteners to make the destinations more enticing. In the UAE emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, the local tourism authority offers complimentary visas for site visits to free parking for chartered aircraft bringing wedding parties.

The peak wedding season in India starts in November and lasts until February-March.


Dubai-based wedding planner Vaibbhav Anju Arora, cofounder at Ikigaii Planners, said his company was getting a lot of requests for the January-March quarter.

"People took their time and were a little scared initially, but now the market has opened up," he said. "We are seeing demand from India and now even from the UK."

There is also local demand from UAE residents. "People who would normally prefer destination weddings in other countries are choosing to have their weddings in the UAE itself. That demand has surged, particularly in Q4 of 2026 and Q1 of 2027," Arora said. "The volumes are still way lower than last year, but have picked up now."

The Indian wedding market is an important one for Ras Al Khaimah, said Iyad Rasbey, vice president, destination tourism development, at the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. "We are seeing a strong increase in inquiries for Q1 of 2027, especially around the auspicious dates between January 15 and March 15."

Ras Al Khaimah has designed a wedding incentive programme to support couples and planners from the planning stage through to the wedding.

For qualifying weddings generating 150 or more room nights, the programme offers complimentary visas and airport transfers for site inspections for up to six guests, along with dedicated planner incentives. Couples can also benefit from complimentary room or suite upgrades and luxury limousine airport pickups. At the airport, benefits include 24-hour free parking for wedding charter flights, a 50% discount on VIP terminal services, complimentary porter service for the couples and free parking access for wedding guests.

In Oman, the Indian destination wedding segment remains the largest international wedding segment, though the upcoming season is likely to be softer, said Krupa Khimji, founder of Mosaic Events Oman, a Muscat-based wedding planning and event management company.

"Local weddings, social events, corporate events, leisure business and conferences are all continuing. The hesitation we are hearing from international destination wedding clients is less about Oman specifically and more about uncertainty around the wider West Asia," said Khimji. "Oman is perceived as being neutral and is considered the Switzerland of West Asia. There has been a reduction in the number of weddings but it's not a situation where there is nothing," she added.