Thomas Cook launches package holidays to Saudi Arabia

Online travel agency Thomas Cook has added Saudi Arabia package holidays to its portfolio, with direct flights from Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester.

Seven-night package holidays cost from £439 per person, said the OTA.

The launch follows a “significant uplift” in long-haul bookings, with demand for the Middle East continuing to rise, added Thomas Cook.

It said bookings to the United Arab Emirates are up more than 700% year-on-year.

The OTA offers 50 four and five-star hotels across Saudi Arabia including Jeddah and Riyadh, with accommodation available on a room-only, B&B or half-board basis.

Flights operate seven days a week from Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester, with indirect flights available via Birmingham, Edinburgh and Stansted.

Highlights in the five-star hotel offering include The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh; Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh; and Waldorf Astoria Jeddah - Qasr Al Sharq on the Red Sea coast.

Peter Davies, senior commercial product manager at Thomas Cook, said: “We’re seeing a real shift in customer appetite towards new long-haul destinations that offer something genuinely different, with Saudi Arabia in particular offering experiences that can’t be replicated elsewhere.

“We’re thrilled to give customers the opportunity to explore a rapidly evolving country with the reassurance, flexibility and value that booking a Thomas Cook package holiday provides.”