About 80% of travelers in Saudi Arabia are confident using artificial intelligence to plan and book trips, according to Skyscanner’s 2026 travel research.
The figure places Saudi Arabia among the markets most receptive to AI in travel, behind India at 86% and level with Brazil and the UAE at 81%. Globally, 54% of travelers said they were confident using AI for travel planning and bookings.
Across markets, 38% said they would use AI to research destinations, while 33% would use it to build itineraries and 32% would use it to compare flights and hotels.
Skyscanner’s separate Saudi summer research also found that 44% of travelers were still planning their holidays and 37% had flexible plans. While 42% had already booked, only 2% said they did not plan to travel during the summer.
That flexibility is reflected in flight searches. Saudi travelers are increasingly considering connecting flights, with Skyscanner reporting higher use of its Layover Filter. Abu Dhabi overtook Dubai as the most frequently selected regional layover airport through the feature from April.
Family and group travel remain important, although 46% said organizing a group holiday was more stressful than moving house. Meanwhile, 93% were interested in destinations that felt different from those commonly seen in their networks, and 68% had chosen a destination based on a specific hotel or resort.
Source: Fast Company Middle East
