New UAE travel agency to hire 50 employees

A newly-launched travel agency in the UAE plans to open nine branches across the Gulf region and aims to hire 50 employees in order to cash in on the growing number of tourists, said a senior company official.

UAE-based Al Basel Group of Companies has launched Tuwaiq Travel Agency which will have two branches in the UAE and seven in neighbouring Gulf countries, recruiting 50 travel specialists and other support staff, said Basel Al Kasem, Founder of Al Basel Group.

Real estate consultancy JLL said a report earlier this week that the UAE tourism industry is expected to witness positive and stable growth rate over the next three to five years.

According to JLL UAE received 18.935 million tourists in 2013 compared to 16.66 million in the previous year. It projected 10.6 per cent compound annual growth rates for the emirates tourism industry in the next five years.

Al Basel Group has a number of subsidiaries including Najd Luxury Rent-A-Car, Al Basel Real Estate Brokers, Al Basel Consultancy and Amani Investments.

The new travel agency, to be headquartered in Dubai World Central in Jebel Ali, is looking to target the region’s middle and upper class segments from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey and Egypt.

Basel Al Kasem, Founder, Al Basel Group, said it was decided to launch travel agency after it achieved up to 35 per cent increase in consultations for the high-end travel.

He said: “All roads lead to the Middle East as more and more tourists are opting to visit the region and see the many tourist attractions that we have to offer. The UAE’s recent win to host Expo 2020 has also acted like a catalyst that brings the UAE and the rest of the region in the spotlight, which is expected to drive in a large influx of visitors. This just means more business for our hotels, resorts and airports… The new office will be staffed with world class tourism professionals who will always be on hand to serve the needs of our clients.”

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