Akbar Travels signs exclusive regional agreement with Travelport

Having secured a leading market position in India, the South-East Asian travel giant is now moving in to capture a significant share of the Middle East market, with retail outlets opened recently across the UAE and Saudi Arabia and branches in the pipeline for Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.

With immediate effect, Akbar will use the Galileo system to distribute, manage and book travel management services for all of its customers in the Middle East, enabling the agency to bring efficiency across its rapidly-expanding network by leveraging the best GDS content, technology, training and support services.

"We are at an important stage in our expansion plans and believe that Travelport is well-positioned to complement our fast-tracked growth," said Abdul Nazar, Chairman and Managing Director, Akbar Travels. "As we foray into the Middle East market, we are confident that the Galileo system will streamline our operations significantly and equip us with the tools for long-term success."

The tie-up builds on an existing partnership in India and comes as both groups are working aggressively to extend their customer base and ensure profitable growth in the Middle East, capitalising on years of experience and in-depth industry expertise to offer customers in the region the very best travel services.

"Akbar is a strategic win for Travelport and promises to solidify our already strong presence in the Middle East. We are both in an exciting phase of development in this region and look forward to leveraging our respective strengths in order to provide the best travel solutions on the market," said Rabih Saab, Vice-President, Middle East, Travelport.

As one of the most well respected travel agencies in India, Akbar specialises in destination management, offering a spectrum of travel related services and facilities. Akbar has been operating in South East Asia for over 31 years, with plans to significantly extend its global reach over the next several years.