Amadeus expands in Middle East to support local travel sector

Graham Nichols, MD, Amadeus Gulf (centre) cuts ribbon at the new office in Oman.

Headquartered in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi, Amadeus Gulf was established in 2002 and commenced a joint venture with national carrier Etihad Airways in March 2007. Amadeus Gulf also has offices in Dubai (UAE) and in Manama (Bahrain) to serve the Gulf travel market with innovative products and tailored services.

Amadeus Gulf has taken advantage of the relocation to upgrade its equipment and technical infrastructure. The new location now includes an advanced training centre with brand new IT systems, digital training displays, and an innovative break out zone. The premises also feature dedicated departments for sales, customer support, and operations.

“Oman is a crucial market for us”, said Graham Nichols, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf, “as it is fast-growing and also shows a lot of potential. For agents to succeed in this highly competitive environment, the focus needs to be on differentiation, and the best way to achieve that is through the smart application of the best technology solutions. At Amadeus, we focus on this area with innovative, industry-leading solutions, and an agent-friendly consulting approach, which we believe offers unique value. We look forward to aligning for further success with the travel and tourism community in the Omani market.”

Family, culture, and eco travel are a few of the hidden treasures Oman has to offer.Research by Amadeus shows that Oman is home to a very family-oriented traveller, with 73% of Omani travellers preferring to travel with family and friends. They are also premium travellers, spending an average of US $4,415 per head per regional trip, and US $9,090 per head per international trip. Oman also stands alongside regional tourism heavyweights such as Dubai and Qatar in hotel and leisure facility development.

Oman’s travel agent community will benefit from the proximity of the local expertise, the latest technology, and more complete content offering by Amadeus. “In this market, the focus needs to be on differentiation”, said Graham Nichols, “the advantage will go to organisations that are able to effectively use technology as a true competitive differentiator. It is these organisations that we seek to cater to and partner with”.

Amadeus has a presence in the Middle East and North Africa through 17 local commercial organisations servicing 21 countries. Additionally, Amadeus and The Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) have a 10-year exclusive distribution agreement with 13 leading AACO airlines.