BERLIN: European tourism group TUI is putting contingency plans in place for Britain’s exit from the EU, it said on Wednesday, aiming to address potential problem areas such as flying rights, visa requirements and changes in demand.
“Whilst we are not able to control the outcome of these (Brexit) negotiations, we are putting contingency plans in place in order to manage potential disruption to our operations,” it said.
CEO Fritz Joussen said if certain destinations became more expensive for Britons due to a fall in sterling then demand could shift to cheaper countries, and the group had already increased hotel space in places such as Bulgaria and Croatia.
He said UK customers typically spent around £1,000 (SR5,005) on their holidays and TUI had seen a slight weakening of demand for long-haul destinations.
It is not yet clear what flying rights will apply to carriers once Britain leaves the bloc, though airlines have said they need clarity by October next year at the latest.
TUI urged negotiators to come up with a “workable solution” for airlines, including extending current agreements until such a solution is agreed.
Joussen said, though, that TUI did not need to follow the example of easyJet, which has received an Austrian license to protect intra-EU flying, because it already had five operating licenses.
The comments came after TUI reported a 12 percent rise in underlying profit for its 2017 financial year and said winter trading was in line with expectations, with Turkey picking up.
Its shares were up 1.3 percent in early deals, among the top FTSE risers.
TUI said, however, that it took a €15 million hit from the insolvency of Air Berlin, previously Germany’s second largest carrier, due to the need to renegotiate a lease agreement it had with the airline.
Seven of the planes that used to fly for Air Berlin are now flying for Lufthansa and its Eurowings unit and Joussen said this would not change even if the EU blocked Lufthansa’s plans to acquire parts of Air Berlin.
TUI reported underlying earnings before interest, tax and amortization (EBITA) up 12 percent at constant currency to €1.2 billion, having earlier predicted an increase of at least 10 percent.
Travel firm TUI puts plans in place to avoid Brexit disruption
Travel firm TUI puts plans in place to avoid Brexit disruption
Closing Bell: Saudi stocks slip as Tadawul falls 1% amid broad market weakness
RIYADH: Saudi stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, with the Tadawul All Share Index closing down 108.14 points, or 1.03 percent, at 10,381.51.
The broader decline was reflected across major indices. The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index slipped 0.78 percent to 1,378.00, while Nomu, the parallel market index, fell 1 percent to 23,040.79.
Market breadth was strongly negative on the main board, with 237 stocks falling compared to just 24 gainers. Trading activity remained robust, with 164.7 million shares changing hands and a total traded value of SR3.19 billion ($850.6 million).
Among the gainers, SEDCO Capital REIT Fund led, rising 2.73 percent to SR6.77, followed by Chubb Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co., which gained 2.69 percent to SR20.20.
National Medical Care Co. added 1.72 percent to close at SR141.60, while Alyamamah Steel Industries Co. and Thimar Advertising, Public Relations and Marketing Co. advanced 1.57 percent and 1.13 percent, respectively.
Losses were led by Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co., which tumbled 8.36 percent to SR24.65. Raoom Trading Co.fell 6.75 percent to SR64.20, while Alkhaleej Training and Education Co. dropped 6.60 percent to SR18.12 and Naqi Water Co. declined 5.51 percent to SR54.00. Gulf General Cooperative Insurance Co. closed 5.44 percent lower at SR3.65.
On the announcement front, Chubb Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co. signed a multiyear insurance agreement with Saudi Electricity Co. to provide various coverages, expected to positively impact its financial results over the 2025–2026 period. The deal will run for three years and two months and is within the company’s normal course of business.
Meanwhile, Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance Co. announced a one-year health insurance contract with Saudi National Bank, valued at SR330.2 million, covering the bank’s employees and their families from January 2026. Despite the sizable contract, Bupa Arabia shares fell 0.8 percent to close at SR137, weighed down by the broader market weakness.
In contrast, United Cooperative Assurance Co. revealed an extension of its engineering insurance agreement with Saudi Binladin Group for the Grand Mosque expansion in Makkah. The contract value exceeds 20 percent of the company’s gross written premiums based on its latest audited financials and is expected to support results through 2026. However, the stock came under selling pressure, ending the session down 4.51 percent at SR3.39.
