Al Rais plans region-wide expansion

UAE-based Al Rais Travel and Shipping, one of the biggest travel agencies in the UAE is planning to expand the company region-wide by 2011.

Mohammed Al Rais, deputy managing director of Al Rais Travel said regional growth had originally been planned for 2009, but had to be put back due to the economic crisis.

“Before the crisis in 2009 we had a strong plan to expand regionally and our target was to open up many more shops in other GCC countries. But since the crisis affected the travel market in May last year, business dropped which affected our growth so we had to postpone those plans.”
According to Al Rais the company suffered a  21 percent drop in business due to the financial crisis. “We were affected, but I can say much we were better than the market – the average market was down around 32 percent.”

This year Al Rais continues locally with more branches in the UAE inclusing  two new branches in Dubai - one in Al Quoz and another in the brand new City Centre Mirdif, plus more planned for Abu Dhabi.