CEO Spotlight: Muzzammil Ahussain of Almosafer

Almosafer

Founded in 2012, Saudi Arabia-based online travel agency (OTA) Almosafer has several verticals, namely consumer travel, corporate and government travel, destination management, religious tourism and distribution.

While the OTA is part of the travel company Seera Group, Almosafer plans to move forward with a previously announced initial public offering later this year or in 2026.

Saudi Arabia-based OTA Almosafer, which means “traveler” in Arabic, is making headway in the Middle East. Now head of the company, Muzzammil Ahussain has risen the ranks from COO to EVP to CEO—a role he’s held since January 2023.

In an interview with PhocusWire, Ahussain said Almosafer sets itself apart from global OTAs like Booking.com and Expedia through “local understanding and local knowhow” of Saudi Arabia.

“We are not just an OTA in our consumer business; we’re actually a fully omnichannel business,” he said.

“We have physical locations. We have a call center and we have WhatsApp—we actually have WhatsApp as a key sales channel because WhatsApp is so embedded into the organization. We partner with local loyalty programs in Saudi. We have buy now, pay later. So, we really, really take the local needs and insights into our product offerings and the way we sell.”

Additionally, the OTA differentiates itself through its review strategy, which includes curating reviews from locals who have stayed at certain properties and used Almosafer to book.

“It’s really tailored reviews about a property to make sure it fits the cultural or the norms of what people from this region want when they travel—whether they travel anywhere in the world,” Ahussain said.

The CEO also discussed the greatest challenges facing the company, which include prioritizing different opportunities within Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council, identifying areas to leverage artificial intelligence and human capital development.

Watch the full interview below: