FCM Travel has expanded its UAE offering with a new corporate meetings and travel solution designed to help organisations deliver business travel, offsites and internal events with significantly less time, administrative effort and budget waste.

The move comes at a time when the corporate travel sector is undergoing its most significant shift since COVID-19, with data showing a sustained return to in-person interactions driven by the commercial value of relationship-building. While virtual tools remain important, businesses are re prioritising face-to-face meetings, particularly for sales, client retention, strategic planning and regional expansion.

According to industry research:

  • Business travel demand has rebounded across most major markets • Corporate travel budgets continue to rise year-on-year
  • Over 50% of corporate travel budgets are now allocated to meetings and engagement travel, including internal events, client meetings and incentives • Nearly 1 in 3 travel buyers expect to assume responsibility for meetings and events, largely due to cost pressures and consolidation

This trend is especially visible in the UAE, where the region’s role as a hub for enterprise, global trade and regional headquarters continues to fuel travel in sectors such as energy, professional services, technology and finance.

“Corporate travel is evolving quickly it’s less about volume and more about strategic value,” said Ciáran Kelly, Managing Director, FCM Travel – MEA Region. “Organisations want to get their teams and clients back in the same room, but they also need better control, better visibility and less internal disruption to make it work efficiently.”

Efficiency Now Outweighs Volume

While global travel volumes continue climbing, companies are no longer travelling indiscriminately. Instead, they are prioritising:

  • Return on travel investment
  • Strategic trips (client, sales, expansion)
  • Budget optimisation
  • Duty of care and traveller experience

This has created demand for solutions that sit between traditional travel management and event planning, allowing organisations to improve outcomes without creating workloads for non specialist departments.

“The UAE market is extremely active in hosting leadership meetings, incentives and client engagement,” Kelly added. “Our role is to make the process faster, easier and more convenient so companies can realise commercial benefits without the operational drag.” About FCM Travel

FCM is a leading global travel management company supporting organisations of all sizes with travel and corporate mobility solutions across more than 100 countries. Through technology, data and specialist expertise, FCM helps companies optimise travel programmes, manage spend and enhance traveller experience with greater visibility and control.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Amanda Gavin
AMG Consulting
amanda@amgconsulting.ie