Wego reveals Saudi traveller trends...

Solo travel and Umrah pilgrimages among key motivations

The Holy Month of Ramadan has always been a peak travel period for Saudi residents with trips planned for religious and leisure reasons especially.

Wego, a leading travel app in the Middle East, says bookings from the kingdom have risen 132% compared to the previous month. While this is somewhat to be expected, digging deeper into the data reveals some interesting insights, based on Ramadan 2024 and early data for 2025.

Wego reports Egypt, India and Pakistan are the top international destinations for Saudi travellers, while domestic travel is dominated by Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.

When it comes to accommodation, the majority of travellers (53%) book 4-star or 5-star hotels for both international and domestic trips, highlighting the demand for luxury hospitality and high-end services.

Wego adds that performing Umrah is a key driver for travel during Ramadan, even though the spiritual journey can be performed at any time of year. This is backed by the data, showing that the most booked hotels in Saudi for Ramadan 2024 and 2025 are all located in Makkah.

Aside from luxury hotels, aparthotels and resorts are also popular with families.

Crucially, a trend that emerged in 2024 is also continuing in 2025, with a growing preference for solo travel. data showed more than three quarters (76%) of all Saudi users booking Ramadan trips in 2024 were solo travellers, and that looks set to continue this year.

Wego says this solo trend is especially relevant for younger travellers for both Umrah and leisure bookings.

In 2024, the kingdom ranked the safest G20 country based on international indicators, while the city of Madinah received the highest safety rating for female solo travel worldwide by InsureMyTrip for the third year in a row.

Last year too, Saudi's national tourism brand, Saudi, Welcome to Arabia, released an ad campaign that followed a female explorer as she navigates an unfamiliar terrain, on a journey of discovery.

The younger, tech-savvy Saudi traveller is also increasingly turning to digital solutions for bookings, especially on mobile apps, say Wego.

This preference was backed up by data from Saudi travel platform Almosafer, with app bookings surging 67% in the last year.

The rise of travel technology will be a focus of the upcoming Arabian Travel Market (ATM), reflecting the significance of the US$10.7 billion opportunity.

“As Saudi travellers prepare for Ramadan and Eid, we are seeing a clear preference for effortless mobile-first travel planning, along with a strong inclination toward premium hospitality and performing Umrah,” said Mamoun Hmidan, Chief Business Officer at Wego.

For more information, visit www.wego.com

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