Tourism

Travel across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has entered a new phase of sustained demand and decentralised growth, with 2025 marking a decisive shift away from traditional peak seasons and reliance on a handful of mega-hub airports. This is according to new analysis released by Dragonpass, a global provider of digital airport ecosystem platforms.

Based on anonymised traveller data from six GCC markets, the analysis shows that regional travel demand is now spread more evenly throughout the year, while passenger traffic is increasingly distributed across a wider network of airports.

Extended peak travel becomes the norm

Dragonpass data indicates that 56 per cent of all GCC travel in 2025 took place between June and November, signalling the emergence of a prolonged peak season rather than short, seasonal spikes. July, August and October were identified as the busiest travel months across the region, while March stood out as the only period in which all six GCC markets experienced a slowdown simultaneously.

“This extended peak reflects a maturing travel market,” said Andrew Harrison-Chinn, Chief Marketing Officer at Dragonpass. “Travel demand in the GCC is no longer seasonal in the traditional sense. It is continuous, high-volume, and increasingly complex to manage.”

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continue to dominate regional travel flows, together accounting for nearly 80 per cent of total GCC travel. However, the same seasonal patterns are now visible across all six markets, highlighting a shared regional travel rhythm.

Passenger traffic spreads beyond major hubs

In parallel with sustained demand, the data points to a gradual decentralisation of airport traffic. Secondary airports accounted for 32.4 per cent of total GCC travel in 2025, reflecting a year-on-year increase as travellers increasingly choose from a broader range of departure points.

While Dubai, Riyadh and Jeddah remain the region’s primary aviation hubs, collectively handling more than two-thirds of total traffic, their dominance is beginning to ease. Riyadh and Jeddah continue to gain market share, while secondary airports across the GCC are capturing a growing portion of overall passenger volume.

“This is not about the decline of major hubs,” Harrison-Chinn explained. “It is about the expansion of choice, as improved connectivity allows travellers to spread across more airports.”

Premium travel priorities shift toward efficiency

The decentralisation trend is even more pronounced among premium travellers. In 2025, 47 per cent of premium travel activity took place outside the top three airports, reflecting changing expectations around where premium journeys begin.

Dragonpass also recorded a 1,010 per cent year-on-year increase in Fast Track service usage, indicating a strong shift in traveller behaviour. As demand remains elevated for longer periods, travellers are placing greater emphasis on speed, predictability and control, with time increasingly viewed as a key measure of value.

“Premium travel is no longer defined solely by luxury spaces,” Harrison-Chinn said. “In a high-demand environment, efficiency has become the ultimate upgrade.”

Implications for the GCC travel ecosystem

With travel volumes remaining high for extended periods and passenger flows spreading across a wider airport network, the analysis highlights significant implications for airports, airlines and service providers. Infrastructure planning, passenger flow management and experience design will need to adapt to a region operating in sustained motion rather than short travel cycles.

According to Dragonpass, the future of GCC travel will be shaped not only by where people fly, but by how efficiently they move through increasingly busy airports and how effectively the wider travel ecosystem responds to evolving passenger expectations.

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