Tag: MENA
Middle East OTA Investment Opportunities: Religious Travel’s $12B Inflection Point
Saudi Arabia's Nusuk platform processed 12M downloads and now mandates all Umrah bookings—reshaping the $12B religious travel economy. MENA-native OTAs like Almosafer (604% EBITDA surge) are winning by mastering what global players can't: Hajj quota systems, mahram requirements, installment payment structures, and direct government integration. The investment opportunities in travel fintech, regulatory integration platforms, and authorized Nusuk partnerships.
The Unseen Disruption: 10 Early-Stage Startups Redefining GCC Travel
As a VC deeply actively watching this market, I see the landscape shifting. The first wave of travel tech was about digital brochures and building online travel agencies (OTAs). The next, and far more interesting, wave is about embedding intelligence into the very fabric of the travel experience. GCC Travel Startups solving deep, complex problems in operations, accommodation, and local experiences. This is where the real enterprise value will be created over the next decade. Forget the headlines for a moment. These are the companies on my watchlist—the ones operating below the radar but poised for significant impact. They are ... Read more