Business travel across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region rebounded sharply in the third quarter of 2025, with a 30 per cent surge in demand led by short-duration trips, according to UAE-based travel platform Tumodo.

Despite a rocky start to the quarter marked by regional political disruptions and airport closures, September emerged as the strongest month for bookings. The post-crisis recovery, coupled with the end of the summer vacation season, helped offset earlier cancellations and reignited corporate travel momentum.

Tumodo's internal data shows that Saudi Arabia and the UAE remained the top business travel destinations, accounting for 20 per cent and 15 per cent of bookings respectively. Egypt, Qatar, and emerging markets such as Morocco, Bahrain, and Oman followed closely behind. Popular routes included Dubai–Kuala Lumpur, Dubai–Riyadh, and London–Dubai.

The average hotel booking value rose to $169 in Q3, reflecting increased demand after the holiday lull. Airfare averaged $499.9, with Emirates leading the pack at 20.75 per cent of bookings, followed by Turkish Airlines, Flydubai, Qatar Airways, and Air France.

A notable trend this quarter was the shift toward shorter business trips. One- and two-day travel accounted for 9 per cent and 7 per cent of trips respectively, while longer seven-day stays held steady at 4 per cent. This pattern reflects the evolving needs of businesses across the region, from quick meetings to extended consultations, especially in light of large-scale projects like Saudi Arabia's NEOM and international sporting events.

“The recovery we witnessed in Q3, particularly the 30 per cent surge above expectations, demonstrates the resilience of the Mena business travel market and its ability to adapt to changing conditions while maintaining growth,” said Mohanad Nada, Head of GCC at Tumodo.

The report aligns with broader industry forecasts, which project Mena's business travel market to grow at 6.1 per cent year-on-year into 2025, reaching $270.8 billion by 2030-outpacing global averages. Inbound travel to the region is also expected to grow 13 per cent annually through the end of the decade.

Tumodo, a UAE-based B2B travel platform, leverages AI-driven tools and a user-friendly interface to help businesses streamline corporate travel planning and reduce costs by up to 35 per cent.

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