Saab: It is too early to accurately determine our UAE market share. Saab: It is too early to accurately determine our UAE market share.

GDS providers Sabre and Galileo have already started quarrelling over clients following a change in the way both are distributed in the UAE.

According to EmQuest, which switched from distributing Galileo to Sabre on January 1, it has retained most of its travel agent customers in the UAE.

“There are a handful of agents in Dubai and the Northern Emirates that have not made up their minds, but the rest of them have signed contracts with us for the use of Sabre and in Abu Dhabi, everyone has continued with the EmQuest relationship,” said EmQuest senior vice president Naz Nazari.

“[Galileo parent] Travelport can currently claim that everyone is still using Galileo because the transition period is not yet over and part of the terms of the transition is that they are using two systems, but we really believe that EmQuest will retain relationships with customers and we think we have the best offer by far.”

Nazari continued by stating that EmQuest and Sabre now boasted a “dominant market share” of the UAE market.

“For EmQuest, the share of the UAE market was about 69% [with Galileo] before the conversion, but now, by inheriting Sabre’s market share, it will be more,” she said. “However, we won’t know the true market share rate until the transition period is over.”



But Travelport GDS, which has invested millions in creating the infrastructure to distribute Galileo in the UAE, Saudi Arabian and Egyptian markets, has said it managed to retain many Galileo clients in the UAE, including Orient Travel, Al-Futtaim Travel, Royal Wings and SNTTA.

“It is too early to accurately determine our UAE market share, but we are pleased and encouraged by both the number and caliber of customers that have been signing on with Travelport, and can confidently say that we are on track to secure a healthy share of the GDS market in the UAE,” said Travelport GDS vice president Middle East Rabih Saab, conceding that some agents were no longer exclusively on Galileo as a result of distribution changes.

“In the meantime, we remain completely focused on meeting the evolving needs of our customers in the region and are working around the clock to provide them with the on-going support they require through our new direct Galileo operation for travel agents, which opened for business at the beginning of the year. 

“We remain committed to investing and growing our presence in the UAE and have plans in place to roll out new products and services over the coming months. Ultimately, this will determine their choice of GDS provider.”

GDS comp

GDS providers are signing a raft of distribution deals and boosting agent support services as they try to outdo one another in the Middle East.

Amadeus has signed a partnership with Association of Bahrain Travel & Tour Agents and has also opened a new hub in Dubai to “greater support the e-Commerce needs of the travel agencies”, while Travelport GDS has signed an exclusive multi-year agreement with Al-Futtaim Travel for Galileo and partnered with accommodation-only specialist youtravel.com to distribute its beach hotel content to Galileo Leisure users.

 Meanwhile, a study conducted by independent research group Topaz International revealed that against key competitors, Sabre found the lowest available fare four times more often.