Filipe Pacheco and Donna Abu-Nasr, Bloomberg
One of the kingdom’s largest travel companies, Al Tayyar, could receive a cash boost if it sells its stake in a ridehailing company to Uber as expected. The Saudi Arabian travel firm will need to invest the windfall wisely if it wishes to avoid the troubles facing companies like TUI and Thomas Cook.
2 weeks ago
Dana Khraiche, Bloomberg
Saudi Arabia has lifted a travel warning on Lebanon for its citizens. Gulf tourists used to be the biggest spenders in Lebanon, so it's hopeful news for the beautiful but geopolitically unlucky country.
1 month ago
Sarah Algethami, Bloomberg
Neom Bay would be seen by some as a feather in the cap of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who's accused of ordering the grisly murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Not to worry: Saudi Arabia's track record in completing mega developments like this is spotty, at best.
2 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Uber needs to shed its Saudi Arabia investment as long as Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman remains in power, and the country bombs innocents in Yemen. Uber's leaders know they have to do this, but how they dump their Saudi investment and the extent of the divorce remain to be seen.
3 months ago
Anousha Sakoui, Bloomberg
Will Six Flags face any blowback for its relationship with Saudi Arabia, even as other companies cut ties? Its theme park is set to open in 2023, so there is plenty of time to find out.
5 months ago
Sean O'Neill, Skift
This story is yet more fodder supporting one of Skift's megatrends for 2018, which was that travel brands no longer get political at their own risk — they avoid politics at their own risk, given consumer expectations.
5 months ago
Layan Odeh, Bloomberg
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The actions of Qatar's neighbors were always going to have an impact on the country's airline, but the reality is it could have been much, much worse.
6 months ago
Manus Cranny and Yousef Gamal El-Din, Bloomberg
As the UK only represents a small portion of IHG's overall business, CEO Keith Barr doesn't need to worry too much about Brexit. The truth is nobody really knows exactly what kind of impact it is going to have, especially as both sides have yet to agree divorce terms.
11 months ago
Sarah Algethami, Bloomberg
Like past leisure tourism efforts in Saudi Arabia, this new city will have to compensate hard for the barriers to reaching the country in the first place, and letting loose in a religiously conservative environment.
12 months ago
Hannah Sampson, Skift
This development might be the worst-kept secret in theme park history. We're not sure what took Six Flags so long to seal the deal, but we do know the arrangement fits squarely into the operator's strategic goals — as long as everything goes according to plan.
12 months ago
Jonathan Ferziger, Bloomberg
It's a win for Air India to shave two hours off a flight by going over Saudi Arabia, but will El Al be allowed the same opportunity?
12 months ago
Sarah Algethami and Abbas Al Lawati, Bloomberg
Maybe Saudi Arabia is finally turning a corner in dismantling some of its obstacles to tourism. If so, perhaps those citizens who spend their money going to Dubai or Egypt will spend it in the kingdom instead.
1 year ago