The Gulf’s big aviation players are racing to turn transit hubs into full-fledged tourism gateways, and for travelers, long layovers in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha are starting to look less like an inconvenience and more like an opportunity. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are investing billions of dollars in new airports, national carriers and stopover programs designed to entice passengers to step out of the terminal and sample the region’s cities and resorts for a night or two. For anyone planning an intercontinental trip in 2025 and beyond, understanding how these short-stay schemes work can translate into free hotels, simplified visas and a very different kind of journey.
From Transit Corridors to Tourism Gateways
In less than two decades, the Gulf has gone from a geographic waypoint between East and West to one of the world’s most hotly contested aviation battlegrounds. Airlines and governments in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar see airports not just as transit nodes, but as powerful engines of tourism, trade and soft power. Their strategies share a common idea: if tens of millions of people must connect through their territory anyway, why not convince them to stay.
Qatar’s model is the most mature. Hamad International Airport in Doha has repeatedly been ranked among the world’s top airports, and it was designed from the outset as a seamless transfer hub paired with an integrated stopover program operated by Discover Qatar. That program has logged record growth, welcoming more than 10,000 stopover visitors in a single month and driving over 100,000 hotel nights in a year, illustrating how a carefully structured short-stay offer can materially boost tourism arrivals.
In the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have long marketed themselves as destinations in their own right, but recent years have seen a stronger push to formalize stopover experiences. Emirates and Etihad Airways use complimentary and discounted hotel schemes, plus flexible transit visas, to convert connecting passengers into short-term visitors who then often return for longer trips. Dubai’s success as a global tourism and shopping destination is closely tied to this pipeline of repeat visitors first introduced via the airport.
Saudi Arabia, the latecomer in this race, is now acting at breakneck speed. Under Vision 2030, the kingdom has raised its tourism target to 150 million annual visitors by the end of the decade, with airport expansion and new carriers central to the plan. Authorities report that Saudi airports handled around 128 million passengers in 2024, and new projects such as King Salman International Airport in Riyadh and the launch of Riyadh Air are explicitly framed as catalysts to turn transit traffic into multi-day stays at new Red Sea and desert destinations.
Saudi Arabia’s Big Bet on Aviation and Short Stays
Saudi Arabia’s transformation is anchored in a massive aviation overhaul valued at around 100 billion dollars, covering new airlines, greenfield airports and terminal upgrades. The flagship project is King Salman International Airport in Riyadh, now under construction and slated to open by 2030. Envisioned as one of the world’s largest airports, with six runways and extensive mixed-use districts, it is designed not only to move up to hundreds of millions of passengers a year but also to keep many of them in the city for business, shopping and leisure.
Riyadh Air, the new national carrier backed by the Public Investment Fund, is central to that strategy. The airline has placed large orders for Boeing and Airbus aircraft and begun limited pre-launch operations, including test flights between Riyadh and London. Its stated goal is to serve around 100 destinations by 2030, directly challenging established Gulf rivals. Saudi officials have also signaled plans for at least three additional carriers, including low-cost airlines in Dammam and Medina to capture both price-sensitive travelers and the growing religious tourism market, from pilgrimage-focused visits to more flexible cultural trips.
On the ground, Saudi authorities are complementing aviation expansion with new visitor products tailored to short stays. These range from city-break style itineraries in Riyadh and Jeddah to curated overnight packages at the Red Sea luxury resorts being developed by Red Sea Global. Strategic alliances, such as the partnership between Red Sea Global and Riyadh Air, are aimed at bundling flights with stays at regenerative coastal properties, encouraging travelers to turn a connection into a one- or two-night detour at high-end resorts.
For travelers, the practical impact is emerging slowly but visibly. More international airlines are announcing nonstop services to Saudi cities, while domestic links expand to heritage destinations like AlUla and coastal gateways such as Jeddah and Yanbu. Although the kingdom’s stopover offerings are still less standardized than in Qatar or the UAE, officials have made clear that simplified transit and short-stay processes, including e-visas and streamlined airport transfers, are in development as Saudi Arabia competes to capture a share of the region’s lucrative layover tourism.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi: Pioneers of the Stopover Experience
The UAE’s two major airline hubs, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have been refining their stopover playbooks for years. Emirates and Etihad turn long connections into mini-holidays by pairing flexible transit visas with aggressive hotel and sightseeing offers, and both carriers highlight stopovers in their global advertising as a way to break up ultra-long-haul journeys.
Dubai International Airport and the newer Al Maktoum Airport are tightly integrated with the city’s tourism offerings. Emirates operates a service known as Dubai Connect, which provides eligible passengers on certain fare types and long connections with a complimentary hotel stay, airport-hotel transfers and meals. Travelers who do not qualify for free stays are still encouraged to build in one or two nights to explore Dubai’s beaches, malls, cultural districts and theme parks, with discounted hotel packages often available through the airline.
Abu Dhabi has followed a similar path, with Etihad Airways promoting stopovers that bundle hotels, attraction passes and flexible durations. Transit visas of 48 or 96 hours are common across the UAE, typically at modest cost, allowing passengers to leave the airport without committing to a full traditional visit. For many tourists, a first exposure to the Emirates comes not from a dedicated holiday, but from a strategically planned layover that leads to a return trip.
For the UAE government, these programs are not side perks but a core component of national tourism strategies. Authorities view every connecting traveler as a potential future visitor, property buyer or business investor. The net effect has been a steady rise in visitor numbers even as global aviation patterns shift, with stopover traffic acting as both a hedge and a pipeline for broader tourism demand.
Qatar’s Discover Qatar Model and Airport-Led Tourism Growth
Qatar offers perhaps the clearest example of how a stopover program can be used to reposition a country on the global tourism map. The Discover Qatar stopover initiative, administered by the destination management arm of Qatar Airways, has been steadily scaled up since its relaunch in 2021, with recent data showing a month in which more than 10,500 stopover visitors were recorded, an increase of well over 50 percent compared with the previous year’s figures.
The growth is closely tied to Hamad International Airport’s reputation for quality and efficiency. Consistently ranked among the world’s best airports, it features indoor tropical gardens, art installations and high-end retail directly accessible to transiting passengers. The stopover program is designed to convert that positive first impression into a decision to leave the terminal. Visitors can book one to four nights in four- and five-star hotels at comparatively low fixed prices, with one-night stays sometimes advertised at less than the cost of a typical mid-range city hotel elsewhere.
Visa policy is another key component. Citizens of many countries benefit from visa-free entry to Qatar, while others can apply for a dedicated free transit visa, processed electronically. Qatar Airways integrates the stopover booking flow directly into its flight search, making it easy for passengers to add Doha as a planned break in their itinerary. This streamlined approach is credited by officials with helping to double hotel night bookings year-on-year in some periods, and with raising awareness of Doha’s museums, waterfront districts and desert excursions.
Qatar’s experience also illustrates some of the operational challenges of rapid growth. As more travelers take up stopover offers, instances of booking confusion or customer service bottlenecks occasionally surface on social platforms. Industry sources say airlines and tourism boards are working to refine communication, payment flows and on-the-ground support, recognizing that the stopover experience often serves as a traveler’s first direct encounter with the country and its brand.
What Stopover Programs Actually Offer Travelers
Across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, stopover schemes share several common elements, even as the specific rules and branding differ by airline and airport. Travelers can generally expect some combination of discounted or even complimentary hotel nights, simplified or special-purpose visas, bundled airport transfers and curated suggestions for ways to use limited time in the city.
Complimentary hotel stays tend to be reserved for passengers with longer involuntary layovers, meaning those whose connections cannot be reasonably shortened. Emirates, for example, offers its Dubai Connect benefit only when no faster connection is available and when minimum layover times are met, with more generous thresholds for premium cabins. Etihad and Qatar Airways focus more heavily on deeply discounted packages, leaving travelers to decide whether to extend their journey voluntarily.
In many cases, stopover offers are tiered by hotel star rating and length of stay. Qatar’s official program provides indicative per-night prices for four- and five-star hotels, with costs rising for additional nights but remaining lower than standard open-market rates. UAE carriers often promote special seasonal or themed packages tied to events, major sales periods or new attraction openings. Saudi Arabia’s emerging short-stay products are currently more bespoke, focused on luxury coastal resorts and heritage destinations, but are expected to broaden as new airports and airlines ramp up.
For passengers, the value calculus is straightforward. A single night in a Gulf hub can help combat jet lag on ultra-long-haul routes, while offering a chance to sample local cuisine, architecture and culture at a relatively low incremental cost. The trade-off is time, as a stopover naturally lengthens the total duration of a trip. Airlines and tourism authorities are banking on the idea that, for many travelers, that trade-off will feel worthwhile once they understand the benefits and logistics.
Visas, Security and Practical Considerations
While marketing materials often highlight the glamour of rooftop pools and desert safaris, the real test of a stopover program is usually bureaucratic. Travelers must clear immigration, secure any required visas and re-clear security before continuing their journey, all within a compressed timeframe. Gulf governments have therefore moved to relax and standardize transit and short-stay entry schemes as they compete for traffic.
The UAE offers widely used transit visas, commonly in 48- and 96-hour formats, and many nationalities enjoy visa-on-arrival or visa-free entry for short visits. Qatar has implemented visa-free entry for citizens of more than 80 countries, with others eligible for no-fee transit visas when flying with the national carrier. Saudi Arabia, which historically maintained stricter entry rules, has expanded its e-visa program and introduced a wider array of tourist visas, though stopover-specific policies are still maturing compared with its neighbors.
Security screening and airport processes have also been redesigned with stopover passengers in mind. Modern Gulf hubs feature clearly signed transfer and arrivals channels, rapid baggage handling and in-terminal transit hotels for those who prefer not to leave the airside area. Many carriers allow checked bags to remain tagged through to the final destination even when travelers exit the airport for a short city visit, though rules can vary by ticket type and itinerary, so passengers are advised to confirm details when booking.
Health, insurance and cultural considerations also come into play. Gulf countries are generally considered safe and highly secure, with extensive surveillance and policing at major hubs. Dress codes are relaxed in most airport and hotel environments but remain more conservative than in many Western cities, particularly in public areas. Alcohol availability varies: it is widely served in Dubai and Doha’s international hotels, restricted in Abu Dhabi to licensed venues, and largely absent in Saudi Arabia, where new tourism projects are balancing local regulations with international expectations.
How Travelers Can Make the Most of Gulf Stopovers
For travelers considering a stopover in Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Qatar, timing is perhaps the most important factor. Late-night and early-morning arrivals can limit options for sightseeing but may be ideal for catching up on sleep in a hotel near the airport before continuing onward. Daytime connections of 10 to 24 hours lend themselves to structured excursions: a half-day tour of Doha’s museums and souqs, an afternoon at Dubai’s beach clubs or malls, or an evening walk through Riyadh’s new entertainment districts.
Travel planners suggest starting with the airline’s own stopover portal or booking tool, which will indicate eligibility, pricing and hotel options. From there, travelers can layer on independent activities, from advance-booked desert treks to simple self-guided walks in waterfront and heritage neighborhoods. Because temperatures across the Gulf can be extreme in summer, particularly in the middle of the day, visitors on short stays often focus on air-conditioned attractions, evening outings or cooler winter months.
Budget is another consideration. While headline offers often promote very low nightly rates, taxes, meals and local transport can add up quickly. Complimentary packages typically include transfers and some meals, but discounted offers may not. Transit passengers are usually free to use ride-hailing services, airport trains or taxis, which are widely available, though peak-hour congestion is a recurring issue in both Dubai and Riyadh.
Ultimately, the shift from pure transit hubs to tourism gateways in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar is reshaping not only regional economies but also the way global travelers think about long-haul flying. What was once a tedious layover is increasingly being sold as a curated micro-escape, with Gulf governments betting that a night or two between flights will translate into millions of new visitors, repeat holidays and a powerful new image for their cities on the world stage.