Interest in travel to USA from Saudi soars as Al Hilal FC set to begin FIFA Club World Cup
As Al Hilal FC prepares to kick off their FIFA Club World Cup in the USA tonight, Skyscanner, a world leader in flight, hotel and car comparison, has revealed a sharp increase in flight searches from Saudi travellers to Miami and Washington, D.C. during June compared to the same period last year.
Al Hilal FC, the Kingdom’s sole representative in the global club showpiece event, is set to open its campaign in Miami against Spanish giants Real Madrid this evening (18th June) in the first group game. Recent data from Skyscanner has shown an increase in travel interest to Miami from Riyadh, with a 42% rise on last year’s average searches during the same three-month period of March, April and May.
Washington D.C, the venue for Al Hilal’s second match against Austria’s Salzburg on 23rd June, saw a 27% increase in average searches between March and May from users in Riyadh. The week commencing 5th May was the most popular search week – an 89% rise compared to the week before.
The figures should not come as a surprise for sports travel. According to the latest Skyscanner Travel Trends Report,[FO1] 36% of all Saudi travellers plan to travel domestically or internationally to see a sporting event in 2025 with 62% travelling for “entertainment” and 55% for “the excitement”.
Interest in flights to the USA from the GCC region is likely to be even higher in the coming years with America set to co-host the FIFA World Cup next year alongside Mexico and Canada, while Los Angeles will stage the Summer Olympic Games in July 2028.
Ayoub El Mamoun, Travel Expert at Skyscanner, said: “The rise in searches from Saudi travellers reaffirms that sporting competitions such as the FIFA Club World Cup are becoming key factors for travel and tourism. Taking into consideration that flights from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the US can be 12 hours or more, people are preferring to make the most of their trip by not only watching their teams live in action but also extending their stay so they can explore new destinations and experience the rich culture and attractions the USA has to offer.”
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