DUBAI: Booking trends are showing signs of recovery a month into Saudi Arabia’s reopening of borders, a top travel agency revealed.
Almosafer, owned by Seera Group, said the agency has recovered 76 percent of total bookings compared to the same time in 2019.
This is still expected to grow by the last quarter of the year to exceed pre-pandemic booking volume as more travel restrictions are lifted, it said.
Over 90 percent of the survey respondents said they were planning to travel abroad within the first six months of the border reopening, the company added.
Domestic travel has kept its upward momentum, Almosafer noted, as more Saudis and other residents explore local tourism developments.
“Despite the opening of borders, we are pleased to see that domestic travel is still in demand and that our efforts in promoting domestic bookings are paying off,” Muzzammil Ahussain, EVP at Almosafer, said.
Top destinations include Jeddah, Riyadh, Al-Khobar, and Dammam.
Outside the Kingdom, destinations that were popular among Saudis were the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Egypt, as well as Ukraine and Morocco.
Maldives also featured as a favorite mostly for couples and families.
Data showed Saudi nationals were opting for shorter trips, and spending 5 percent more per booking.
“Based on the initial results we’ve seen through Almosafer’s booking and searches during the last month, we feel very optimistic about the future of the travel sector in KSA,” Ahussain said.
Saudis return to the skies as borders reopen, agency reveals
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Saudis return to the skies as borders reopen, agency reveals
- Over 90 percent of the survey respondents said they were planning to travel abroad within the first six months of the border reopening
Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to 10,894
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index extended its upward trend for a third consecutive day this week, gaining 148.18 points, or 1.38 percent, to close at 10,893.63 on Tuesday.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index stood at SR6.05 billion ($1.61 billion), with 144 listed stocks advancing and 107 declining.
The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also rose by 81.35 points to close at 23,668.29.
The MSCI Tadawul Index edged up 1.71 percent to 1,460.89.
The best-performing stock on the main market was Zahrat Al Waha for Trading Co., with its share price advancing 10 percent to SR2.75.
Shares of CHUBB Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co. increased 8.27 percent to SR23.04, while Abdullah Saad Mohammed Abo Moati for Bookstores Co. saw its stock climb 6.17 percent to SR50.60.
Conversely, the share price of Naseej International Trading Co. declined 9.90 percent to SR31.48.
On the announcements front, Arabian Drilling Co. said it secured three contract extensions for land rigs with energy giant Saudi Aramco, totaling SR1.4 billion and adding 25 active rig years to its backlog.
In a Tadawul statement, the company said one rig is currently operational, the second will begin operations by the end of January, and the third — currently suspended — is expected to resume operations in 2026.
Since November 2025, Arabian Drilling has secured seven contract extensions amounting to SR3.4 billion, representing 55 committed rig years.
The three contracts have durations of 10 years, 10 years, and five years, respectively.
“Securing a total of SR1.4 billion in new contracts and expanding our backlog by 25 rig-years demonstrates both the trust our clients place in us and our ability to consistently deliver quality and reliability,” said Ghassan Mirdad, CEO of Arabian Drilling, in a statement.
Shares of Arabian Drilling Co. rose 3.15 percent to SR104.70.
Separately, Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Co. said it signed a 36-month contract valued at SR43.35 million with National Water Co. to operate and maintain water networks, pumping stations, wells, reservoirs, and related facilities in Tabuk.
In October, Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Co. announced it had been awarded the contract by NWC.
In a Tadawul statement, the company said the financial impact of the deal began in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The share price of Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Co. declined 0.49 percent to SR120.70.
