Partnership Integrating the “almatar” App with the Bahraini “Gulf Air” Reservations System is the First of Its Kind in the Region.. Serving 4.5 Million Customers
Saudi almatar Signs First Strategic Partnership with Bahraini “Gulf Air” to Facilitate Flight Reservations
Muharraq, Bahrain: September 25, 2024:
The Saudi “Arabian almatar Commercial Services Company”, owner of the almatar App, the most downloaded local application in Saudi Arabia, signed a strategic cooperation agreement with “Gulf Air”, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, as part of enhancing cooperation to develop digital operations between the two parties.
Under this agreement, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region between a travel and flight reservation company and an air carrier, the “New Distribution Capability” (NDC) application programming interface system will be integrated between the two parties.
This will enable almatar application to sell Gulf Air products and services such as seat options, additional baggage and other services through its platform specialized in tourist reservations, providing an advanced and more flexible booking experience for travelers in the region and the world.
For his part, Mr. Yousef Abdullah Al Rajhi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Arab almatar”, explained that this agreement is the first of its kind in the region that links a company specialized in flight and travel reservations, namely “almatar”, and an air carrier, “Gulf Air”, which will contribute to a major technological shift in online flight reservations.
Al Rajhi pointed out that this agreement will allow almatar application customers, numbering about 4.5 million customers, to book airline tickets on all “Gulf Air” flights at competitive prices and seats available immediately. He added that this partnership will also provide a wide range of additional services that meet the needs of travelers.
Al Rajhi stressed that this agreement is a milestone in our journey as a company specialized in providing digital travel solutions. He stated that this partnership also confirms our commitment to providing the best technological solutions to our partners and customers. Integrating the NDC system will allow us to expand the scope of services we provide and provide an advanced and unique travel experience for travelers.
Al Rajhi added, “We believe that this partnership will contribute significantly to developing electronic booking operations and improving operational efficiency, allowing us to provide high-quality services that meet the needs of the growing travel market.”
Al Rajhi said, “We are excited about this partnership that will enable us to provide better products and services to our customers. We believe that this partnership will contribute to strengthening the position of the almatar application as one of the leading applications in the travel and tourism sector in the Kingdom.”
For her part, Khadija Al Idrissi, Commercial Relations Manager for the Aviation Sector at almatar Group, confirmed that today witnesses the activation of the strategic partnership with “Gulf Air” that was signed 8 months ago. She explained that this agreement aims to provide a better product for travelers and after-sales services, as the available inventory of seats will contribute to providing better options in a variety of ways.
On this occasion, Mr. Jeffrey Goh, Group Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air, welcomed the partnership with the Saudi almatar Group, which represents one of the fastest growing companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, and expressed his optimism that this partnership will result in facilitating travel to many global destinations covered by Gulf Air’s global network.
Goh attributed the signing of this strategic and important partnership with almatar Group as the first company in the region to sign such an agreement, to the great confidence in this company that owns the first application in the travel and aviation reservations sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which represents a new addition to the success of Gulf Air.
Goh stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is taking great steps towards expanding the travel and aviation market, while encouraging the role of the private sector represented by almatar Group through almatar application, which recorded a great leap in the travel and tourism market.
Goh stressed that this agreement with almatar Group represents an important gateway to expand Gulf Air’s business in the Saudi market, which has become the fastest growing market in the tourism and aviation sector in the region. Pointing out that this partnership comes within the framework of the two companies’ efforts to expand the scope of their services and meet the growing needs of customers. He expects that this partnership will contribute to enhancing the tourism and travel sector in both countries.