| 25 Aug 2010 |
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One-third of Saudis to have holidays abroad
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RIYADH: About a third of the Kingdom's young population have either left for holidays abroad or are planning to do so after Eid Al-Fitr celebrations, indicating an upward trend in spending on travel this year, according to Mastercard's country manager for Saudi Arabia.
Alhamedi M. Alanezi claimed that Saudi Arabia has also emerged as a major destination, with 16 percent of travelers from the Middle East visiting the Kingdom, many of them for Umrah during Ramadan.
Alanezi was speaking at an Iftar party hosted by MasterCard at the local Four Seasons Hotel on Monday. "More than one in three consumers in the Middle East look to pack his or her bags and head off for a vacation in the coming months," he said. Last year, only a quarter of consumers went on holiday, he added. He said Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are the most popular destinations for travelers in the Middle East. A large number of people, especially from Gulf nations, are visiting the Kingdom during Ramadan for Umrah, he noted.
The top destinations for Saudi consumers who have left or are planning to travel in the coming months include Egypt (52 percent of those surveyed), followed by Syria (29 percent) and the UAE (14 percent). Alanezi was referring to figures from a recent MasterCard survey of over 10,000 people. The research revealed that Kuwaitis (71 percent) topped the list of consumers planning trips abroad, followed by Saudi Arabia (30 percent).
By GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN
© Arab News 2010
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