Skyscanner Shares Traveller Insight Ahead Of UAE National Day As Bookings Surge By 122%

With just over a month to go until the UAE National Day holiday, with public holiday on 2 December, it’s clear that travellers are making the most of the opportunity for a long weekend break away and the chance to reconnect with family and friends.  Bookings for travel between 2 and 4 December from the UAE soared by 122% in September compared to the previous month.*

Searches for travel during the UAE National Day holiday period have been increasing steadily on Skyscanner since August and have surged by 121% in the last week as travellers are really starting to plan their UAE National Day getaways.**

What destinations are UAE travellers booking for the UAE National Day holiday?***

Top trending redirect (booking) country destinations for UAE travellers for UAE National Day:

1. India
2. Philippines
3. Qatar
4. Pakistan
5. Egypt

Top trending redirect (booking) city destinations for UAE travellers for UAE National Day:

1. Doha
2. Manila
3. New Delhi
4. Mumbai
5. Kochi

What destinations are UAE travellers searching for the UAE National Day holiday?****

Top trending search country destinations for UAE travellers for UAE National Day:

1. UK
2. Philippines
3. India
4. United States
5. Thailand

Top trending search city destinations for UAE travellers for UAE National Day:

1. Manila
2. London
3. Singapore
4. Bangkok
5. Dublin

Skyscanner’s Travel Expert, Ayoub El Mamoun, comments:

“As the UAE National Day holiday approaches, it’s clear that travellers are keen to make the most of their annual leave with a long weekend break away.  In fact, we’ve seen bookings increase for the UAE National Day holiday period by 122% in September with destinations including India, Qatar and the Philippines the most popular for UAE travellers looking to connect with friends and family, get away for a well-deserved break and soak up the football atmosphere in Qatar.

“For travellers looking to book a break away for the UAE National Day holiday, a Skyscanner ‘Everywhere’ search is one of the easiest ways to get inspired to book a spontaneous break away.  Ordered by price, a search to ‘Everywhere’ gives travellers the very cheapest way to get away this winter and beyond, enabling easy exploration of all the options available across hundreds of destinations.  If you know your preferred destination, but are flexible on dates, use Skyscanner’s ‘whole month’ tool to see the best value deals at a glance and pick the right deal for you.

“Travellers wishing to make the most of the long weekend can find Skyscanner deals to Kuwait from 172 AED return, Bahrain from AED 395 and Oman from AED 435.  And for those who are able to extend their holiday a little further, a Skyscanner ‘Everywhere’ search reveals return deals to Alexandria from 421 AED, Vienna from 775 AED and Malé from 820 AED.”

Top tips to find the best travel deals for UAE National Day and beyond according to Ayoub El Mamoun, Skyscanner’s Travel Expert:  

Mix and match to make big savings: “Mix and matching the airlines you choose to fly with can seriously cut costs. Fares don’t have to be booked as returns, look at flying out with one airline and back with another or out of one airport and back into another.”

Flex those dates: “Searching by multiple dates and airports will give you the best chance of a bargain. Flight prices are all based on supply and demand. Because some dates are more popular than others, prices will vary. The ‘whole month’ search tool allows you to see cheap flights at a glance and pick the right deal for you. Consider travelling a day before or a day after your original departure dates, flying on less popular days of the week is always cheaper.”

Wanderlust calling: “If you don’t have a fixed destination in mind, you can search ‘Everywhere’ on Skyscanner – it’s a great way to see what’s available, ordered by price, and can inspire you to go somewhere you’ve never been before.

Live UAE National Day deals (2-4 December 2022) using Skyscanner ‘Everywhere’ search:*****

Kuwait from AED 172

Bahrain from AED 395

Oman from AED 435

Israel from AED 582

Jordan from AED 754

Have time to extend your holiday?  Check out these December deals!

Abu Dhabi to Alexandria, 2-9 December: AED 421

Abu Dhabi to Malé, 2-9 December: AED 820

Abu Dhabi to Vienna, 1-8 December: AED 775

Abu Dhabi to Athens, 3-10 December: AED 805

*Based on bookings made in September and October for economy return travel from the UAE between 2 and 4 December compared to bookings made in August

** Based on searches made w/c 17October for economy return travel from the UAE between 2 and 4 December compared to bookings made w/c 10 October

*** Bookings made in the last month for economy return travel from the UAE between 2 and 4 December

****Based on searches made in the last month for economy return travel from the UAE between 2 and 4 December

*****Prices correct on Skyscanner on 26 October for economy return travel and subject to change