Road trip new travel trend for Qatar residents

Qatar residents are increasingly embarking on road trips to and through Saudi Arabia, on account of further relaxation of the visa process and the simplification of immigration and customs proceedings at the Abu Samra border crossing point. “The trend is seeing an upward trend with many going to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to spend the weekend," Rayan Travel and Tours general manager Zaheer Yousuf told Gulf Times.

"Earlier, there was Umrah traffic and some opted to go on trips during the weekend to visit their relatives. Now, there is a sudden shift in the trend after Saudi relaxed the visa process and introduced the instant visa system. People have started to go in big numbers on leisure trips to Saudi Arabia,” he explained.

Many visit Saudi Arabia to explore the heritage sites and spend the holidays with relatives and friends. “The attractions include heritage sites, historical monuments, and stunning mountains,” said Ameer Shaji, a member of GCC Trip, a group of travellers in Doha.

The condition of roads is remarkably improved in Saudi in line with the boost in the tourism sector. “The new road to Dammam from Abu Samrah border via Khobar has reduced the travel time by one hour and the immigration and customs proceedings at the border crossing are simplified bringing down the waiting time remarkably,” he said.

For Qatar residents, among the Gulf destinations, according to Saheer, Saudi Arabia is on the top followed by Bahrain and the UAE. “Oman is also becoming a favourite destination with an abundance of natural wonders,” he said.

Ameer said many travellers from Qatar cross the Saudi Arabian border to reach Jordan where they can visit popular tourist sites including the ancient city of Petra, the port city of Aqaba, the Dead Sea, the Cave of the Seven Sleepers and the capital city Amman. Some of them proceed further to Egypt to explore the historic sites and landmarks.

Also, business trips, according to travel experts, are increasing with many entrepreneurs opting to drive to Saudi Arabia and the UAE in groups in order to save money. The trend is also boosting the business of travel agencies that offer visa assistance and hotel booking.