Financial Services Group Expanding in the GCC

Background

A regional financial services group with offices in Dubai, Riyadh, and Manama was experiencing a gradual increase in corporate travel as its investment activity expanded. Roughly 30 to 40 employees travelled frequently for board meetings, investor presentations, and due-diligence visits.

Travel was arranged through multiple channels across the organization, and while each worked individually, the lack of centralization led to inconsistent turnaround times, occasional fare changes from missed issuing deadlines, and a heavy reconciliation burden for the finance team.

The firm was not looking for aggressive cost-cutting, but the leadership team wanted reliability, uniform handling, and reduced administrative friction.

The Requirement

The client needed a centralized travel process supported by predictable service levels. Traveller preferences had to be applied consistently, and the finance team needed clearer visibility over its spending. At the time this decision was made, they were processing 60–70 individual invoices per month, each with a different format and varying levels of detail.

What Utravel Delivered

Utravel assigned a dedicated servicing pod responsible for all bookings through a single communication channel. Traveller profiles were created for all frequent travellers, enabling faster confirmations and fewer clarification requests.

Utravel’s internal teams monitored issued fare deadlines closely, particularly on short-notice routes to Riyadh and Manama where prices could change quickly. The improved management of held fares resulted in more stable fare outcomes for the client.

Consolidated monthly invoicing was introduced, reducing finance workload and improving oversight. Monthly summaries provided management with a clearer view of spending patterns, top routes, and potential areas for optimization without enforcing strict policy changes.

During implementation, Basel Abu Alrub, Managing Director, noted, “For clients who operate at a fast pace, the priority isn’t to change how they travel. It’s to align our internal coordination so that everything feels seamless on their side.”

Results

Within four months, most itineraries were being confirmed in under an hour, and assistants reported a noticeable reduction in the number of follow-up messages and corrections. Importantly, fare fluctuations decreased as time limits were consistently monitored.

The firm recorded an estimated 5–7 percent improvement in spend consistency over six months. This was achieved by eliminating avoidable inefficiencies such as missed fare deadlines and duplicated booking efforts.

Commenting on the operational side, Duleepa Naveen, Head of the Airlines Desk, explained, “Once we mapped out typical travel patterns, the key was timing. Just issuing the right fare at the right moment made a measurable difference.”

Client Impact

The organization now benefits from smoother internal coordination, faster confirmations, and clearer financial oversight. Assistants gained time back in their schedule, finance reduced reconciliation time significantly, and senior management described the new setup as “structured, predictable, and far easier to work with.”

Utravel’s role became that of a quiet but reliable operational layer – supporting the client’s pace without requiring dramatic changes to internal company behavior.