UAE Travel Agencies Report Delays in Payments From Saudi Clients

Some travel agencies in the UAE have reported delays in bank transfers from Saudi customers amid reports of a rift between the two Gulf countries.

“Payments from our Saudi corporate clients in the finance industry have been delayed for one month, but payments from Iran clients are coming through,” Ipshita Sharma, a travel adviser at SCN Travel & More, a Dubai-based travel company told Skift. “These are company-to-company bank transfers and our clients have asked us to wait for one more month.”The delays are a break from the norm, Sharma said — payments from these clients “always came through on time earlier.” In the meantime, some bookings are being handled through a workaround: for flights booked through her agency, clients are paying the airlines directly while the remaining balance comes later.

UAE-based travel agency Wise Fox Tourism has also experienced payment delays. “Our customers told us that Saudi banks are blocking or delaying most