According to the online travel reservation platform Skyscanner, economy class round-trip bookings from Saudi Arabia for November and December increased by 106 percent in August compared to the previous month. Meanwhile, reservations in the UAE during the same winter season increased by 83 percent in August compared to July.
The most popular flights from the UAE ranging in duration from two weeks to a month accounted for 43 percent of total bookings. On the other hand, the most popular flights from Saudi Arabia lasting between one and two weeks accounted for 35 percent of the bookings.
The Philippines, India, Pakistan, UK, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Thailand, the US, and Ireland were among the most popular winter destinations for Emirati travelers, the report said.
Direct winter bookings via the Skyscanner platform for travelers from the UAE using the “Everywhere” search tool (direct return flight in economy class): 241 dirhams from Abu Dhabi to Catania in Italy, 279 dirhams from Abu Dhabi to Athens, 560 dirhams from Sharjah to Istanbul, and 662 dirhams from Abu Dhabi to Malé.
Turkey, the Philippines, India, the UAE, the UK, Thailand, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Italy were the top winter destinations for Saudi visitors, in that order. Direct winter bookings via Skyscanner for Saudi Arabian travelers using the “Everywhere” search tool: from Dammam to Vienna 340 riyals, Dammam to Rome 370 riyals, Dammam to Cairo 758 riyals, and Riyadh to Istanbul 1,387 riyals.
