Business travel worth US$18.1 billion...

Region is best performing worldwide with spend up 19.4% on pre-pandemic levels

Business travel spend in the Middle East is 19.4% higher than pre-pandemic levels, performing better than any other region.

That’s according to the 2024 Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Business Travel Index Outlook Report, which says such spend in the region reached US$18.1 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% in 2025.

The figures were unveiled and unpacked by experts at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025 in Dubai, at the new IBTM@ATM Zone, where influences on corporate travel budgets and decision-making were analysed.

Catherine Logan, Regional Senior Vice President EMEA and APAC at GBTA, said the argument for business travel in 2025 is strong, but that "transformational change" will continue to influence how people travel for work around the world.

Such changes, she said, include economic stability, budget factors, how and where people are working, as well as the implications of technology and the evolution of sustainability in business travel.

Adding to the discussion, Ciaran Kelly, Managing Director of Middle East & Africa at FCM Travel, said a lot of the growth is due to the many public and private projects taking place, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

"This puts extra pressure on airlines and hotels to meet demand," Kelly said.

For more information, visit www.gbta.org

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