AMEX coup for KSA travel firm

American Express has awarded a top premium travel franchise to Al Mousim Travel Group after Kanoo Travel was dropped by the global financial firm.

Al Mousim has taken on the responsibility of looking after the firm’s leisure travel franchise in Saudi Arabia.

The rights do not extend to the corporate travel market — a franchise Kanoo Travel will keep despite losing the leisure contract.

Al Mousim Travel Group general manager Roshan Pillai said: “I believe one of the key reasons we won this contract was our service levels; we are also probably the only company that offer the total bespoke luxury travel service to the high network clientele in Saudi Arabia.”

Pillai added that winning the franchise would aid the group as it aims to become a US $100 million business within two years. The company, which operated its own specialised luxury travel division prior to being awarded the AMEX contract, will now have access to a combined 2900 Centurion Card and Platinum cardholders in Saudi Arabia.

Despite taking on this franchise status, Pillai affirmed that Al Mousim would continue to focus its efforts on the premium Saudi Arabian travel market and had no remit to expand beyond the Kingdom’s borders.

“We have no plans to expand elsewhere in the GCC at present as we believe that Saudi Arabia as a market is being totally underserved in regards to the premium travel service segment,” he stated.

“Our focus is on Saudi Arabia because we believe there’s a lot of potential in terms of developing the business.”