As the latest international air connectivity data for 2025, analyzed by Mabrian, indicates, the Middle East's aviation landscape is evolving, and trends indicate that this region is going through a crucial moment to strengthen its position as a global aviation hub, demanding a strategic vision for developing new routes, establishing airline agreements, and optimizing the network.
Mabrian, the global travel intelligence platform, has studied the availability of airline seats on international, direct and one-way flights to nine destinations in the Middle East (Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain), which together represent 12% of the total international airline seats scheduled for the whole of 2025. This study is part of a series of market reports on the Middle East that Mabrian will share in the weeks prior to the Arabian Travel Market 2025, with the aim of sparking discussion on the most relevant trends shaping the tourism industry in the region.
Data indicates that the United Arab Emirates and Turkey are strengthening their position as global connectivity hubs; Saudi Arabia is emerging as a rapidly growing competitor; Qatar is stabilizing after sustained expansion; international air seat availability to Egypt and Jordan will grow faster than the global average; and Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait will have to address the expected decline in their international air connectivity.
Saudi Arabia's connectivity rebound: Airline seats up 38% since 2019
Considering the availability of scheduled international seats, the United Arab Emirates, ranked seventh (88.9 million), and Turkey, ranked ninth (75.6 million), are among the 10 countries with the greatest international air connectivity worldwide in 2025, consolidating their position as benchmark airports and key connectivity bridges for the region.
Considering the forecasts for the next six months and their year-on-year variation, both the UAE (+6.1%) and Turkey (+6.3%) are adding seats at a similar rate to the global average (+6.5%). However, the corresponding increase for the whole of 2025 is expected to be slightly lower than the global average (+6%) for both the UAE (+3.4%) and Turkey (+4.2%).
“Without a doubt, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey have consolidated their position as international hubs for the Middle East, thanks to their convenient geographic location and well-founded route development strategies, including expanded stopovers, improved destination vacation itineraries, and the strength of their national airlines,” explains Carlos Cendra, Partner and Director of Marketing and Communications at Mabrian. “The next step is to take a qualitative leap in tourism products, as many of these countries are already doing, with the goal of attracting and retaining a greater proportion of these travelers in their own destinations.”
Saudi Arabia deserves a special mention. In addition to being the third best-connected country in the Middle East and among the top 20 worldwide in terms of international air travel, Saudi Arabia is expected to increase its international air connectivity by 8% in the next six months and 5.2% throughout 2025, reaching a total of 43.1 million international air travel seats by the end of the year.
Saudi Arabia has experienced the second-largest increase in international airline seats since 2019 (up 38%), after Egypt (up 51%). "While Saudi Arabia's international airline seat availability is roughly half that of Emirati airports, which constitute the region's main connectivity hub, this increase highlights the country's potential to establish a strong connectivity triangle with the UAE and Qatar," says the Mabrian expert.
Two other major tourist destinations also stand out for their forecast increase in international air seats, both for the next half of the year and for the entire year 2025: Jordan and Egypt. Data show that Jordan, which is growing by +13% year-on-year, will double the global average growth rate in 2025, reaching 6.5 million air seats, aiming to restore demand from foreign source markets this year after a decline in 2024 of -6.4% compared to the seats available in 2029. Egypt, meanwhile, is expected to add +11.4% of international air seats over the next six months and +8.1% throughout 2025 to reach 28 million and thus consolidate its position as the leading international destination in the Middle East.
Projections for international air connectivity for 2025 indicate that the rest of the Gulf Arab countries will perform differently. While Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait will reduce their total international seat capacity by -3.1%, -3.9%, and -4.4%, respectively, Qatar, the fourth best-connected country in the Middle East by international seat capacity and 25th worldwide, shows signs of stabilization after growing by +14% since 2019.
Growth forecasts and key trends for 2025
Mabrian also reviews how air connectivity has evolved over the past five years in the nine Middle Eastern countries analyzed, based on consolidated data on international flight seat availability from 2019 to 2024. This allows for the identification of opportunities and challenges for the coming years in areas such as route development, airline partnerships, and the expansion of global connectivity networks.
Oman, which has experienced a -19.6% decline in international airline seats since 2019, has several options to improve its connectivity strategy. Strengthening its plans to retain tourism demand, especially from long-haul source markets, could be key to reversing this trend; a similar strategy could also benefit Bahrain, which has increased seat availability on international routes by +2.3% since 2019.
Since 2019, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which are at a more advanced stage of regional connectivity development, have increased their seat availability on international routes by 13.6% and 14.5%, respectively. By 2025, Qatar is projected to reach 32 million seats and the United Arab Emirates 88.9 million, a sustained growth that translates into clear opportunities to increase visits from foreign source markets and to optimize and strengthen routes from other global markets.
Turkey, which has added 25% more international seats since 2019, has successfully leveraged the air connectivity created around this world-renowned destination to drive tourism growth. Looking ahead, it has options to implement combined route development strategies with a dual purpose: attracting new source markets and, at the same time, building alternative connectivity networks currently not served by airports in the Gulf Arab countries.
Mabrian, part of The Data Appeal Company – Almawave Group, will participate in a variety of activities and events at the 32nd Arabian Travel Market, including panel discussions, presentations, and an extensive agenda of meetings with tourism and technology leaders attending the international trade fair.
Source: Mabrian Technologies.