Regional

Who said travel tycoons don't need startups?

Although establishing an airline is most probably not what you are aiming for as a travel entrepreneur, the aviation industry has plenty of...

Tala El Issa • 17 July, 2016

aviation Travel MEMakersGE

Regional

The aviation industry, a new frontier for MENA startups [Q&A]

In the world of aviation, the Middle East is one of the fastest growing regions in passenger traffic. According to IATA, the rate will...

Tala El Issa • 24 July, 2016

aviation Travel Abrar Ahmad

Regional

Ecommerce driving Middle East digital economy: Payfort

Ecommerce is the furnace driving growth in the Middle East’s online economy but local online airline bookings are by far the highest...

Rachel Williamson • 15 May, 2016

State of Payments 2016 Payfort Entertainment

Saudi Arabia

HolidayME announce $4 million Series A round after launching last month

HolidayME, a Dubai-based online customized travel startup launched just last month, has announced a $4 million Series A round from Al...

Stephanie d'Arc Taylor • 22 January, 2015

al sanie group holidayme saudi

Saudi Arabia

Former Rocket Internet employee launches a Pinterest for travelers

“Rocket Internet has inspired many people to launch their own startups,” says Anirudh Gupta, a former employee...

Reine Farhat • 24 February, 2014

Crowdsourcing Travel

Can Airbnb clone Agaztak boost tourism in Egypt?

Not every entrepreneur is comfortable admitting that his startup is a local clone of an internationally successful business idea. But...

Ahmed Gabr • 28 November, 2013

Egypt Travel

PayPal Insights e-commerce report reveals trends in mobile, travel in the Middle East

The idea that mobile is the future of e-commerce isn’t new, but it may surprise some to learn that shoppers in the Gulf already p...

Nina Curley • 23 September, 2013

Mobile Penetration Travel Mobile

Will this French startup attract Arab travelers with its trip recording app?

Though it’s been tried by Arab companies before, and failed, French startup Trekea Media, Inc. is expanding their real-time mobile t...

Ahmed Gabr • 20 June, 2013

Travel Mobile

Meet the three Brits who moved to a Moroccan surf town to launch their startup

This piece is part of a new series on expat entrepreneurs. It’s 2013. Fast Internet is accessible almost everywhere, and low cost plane c...

Aline Mayard • 26 May, 2013

Relocating Expatriate entrepreneurs Travel

Yemeni Entrepreneurs Relocate to Cairo to Build GoEjaza

Nearly 50% of Arab tourists rely on the web to plan for their trips and search for any relevant information, and 67% of them ask their...

Ahmed Gabr • 06 February, 2013

Arabic Content Travel

Egypt's Tourism Gets Back on Its Feet at Rouqayah's Ranch

You think you're driving into the middle of nowhere, then thoughts of classic horror plots jump to mind.  But once you arrive through...

Omar Aysha • 13 January, 2013

Egypt Environment Food & Beverage

AskNative Looks to Boost Tourism in Egypt with Local Know-How

Who’s the best person to ask for advice about a destination?  A native local resident, of course. This straightforward concept is the b...

Omar Aysha • 11 December, 2012

Egypt Mobile Travel

From Bankruptcy to Growing Success in Saudi Arabia: The Story of Intercontinental Travel Company

Intercontinental Travel Company (ITC) is one of the leading travel agencies in the Middle East and one of the pioneering companies in the...

Ahmed Al Majid • 09 December, 2012

Advice E-commerce Travel

RihlaPrime/TravelerVIP Debuts Luxury Travel Deals Sites In The Middle East

UPDATE: RihlaPrime has changed its name to TravelerVIP.   "A bad hotel experience can ruin an otherwise perfect trip", says...

Maya Rahal • 08 November, 2012

Daily Deals Travel

Traveling And Hotel Booking In MENA: Seri Abdel Hadi of Yamsafer [Wamda TV]

[Arabic] At ArabNet 2012, Seri Abdel Hadi, COO and Co-Founder of Yamsafer, discusses the way the platform works in the field of booking...

Maya Rahal • 01 November, 2012

Arabnet Conferences Travel

Interact Egypt Resuscitates Seaside Tourism Using Social Media

Egypt’s revolution has been a godsend for global news channels, and freedom loving Egyptians of course, but it has also scared off t...

Omar Aysha • 15 October, 2012

Social Media Social Networks Travel

Adapting an Indian Travel Site to MENA: Tarique Khatri of Cleartrip.com [Wamda TV]

Tarique Khatri, Senior Vice President at Cleartrip.com, discusses his company’s expansion from India to the Middle East. Khatri discusses t...

Wamda • 18 September, 2012

Travel

Creating a Culture Shift in Cairo

Fill a room with equal numbers of people from the arts, software developers, NGO volunteers, and business professionals.  Now sprinkle some ...

Omar Aysha • 13 May, 2012

Digital Media Ecosystem Innovation

TourTwist Puts Crowdsourced Spin on Tourism in Lebanon

Some startups don't just create commercial ventures; they work to turn communities of ordinary people into little engines of commerce....

Said Hamideh • 19 April, 2012

E-commerce Innovation Travel

Creating Lebanese Crowdsourced Tourism Platform TourTwist [Wamda TV]

At the recent MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Business Plan Competition in Abu Dhabi, Pascale Baaklini of TourTwist describes building a ...

Nina Curley • 19 April, 2012

Travel MIT MITEF Arab Business Plan Competition

4 Ways to Innovate in Online Travel in the Middle East

The regional behemoth airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, continue to inspire us with their global dominance. Yet despite...

Mo Ali Yusuf • 13 March, 2012

Innovation Mobile Travel

Egyptian Startup Seeks to Streamline Travel Booking in the Middle East [Wamda TV]

[Arabic] At the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, we chatted with Hussein Al-Sakkaf, Founder and CEO of Go Ejaza, a travel planning platform f...

Wamda • 13 March, 2013

Egypt Travel

HemenKiralik For Apartments Rental: Focusing on the Turkish Market [Wamda TV]

During the Webrazzi Summit, Remi Onur, Co-founder and CEO at HemenKiralik.com, speaks to us about the startup's interface and future plans....

Wamda • 27 December, 2012

Call Centers Investment Travel

Yamsafer Announces $1m Investment from Sadara Ventures; Interview with Founder Faris Zaher [Wamda TV]

Ramallah-based online travel site Yamsafer made waves in the MENA region yesterday, annoucing a $1 million round of investment from Sadara...

Nina Curley • 11 September, 2012

Travel