Terms and Conditions

Article 1. Acceptance and Governing Language

These Terms and Conditions form a contract between the client and Ara Travel, the trade name of Ara Aljazeera Company For Travel and Tourism (CR 4030549385; License number: 73105688; General Travel and Tourism Services), and apply to every booking. Every booking requires the client's explicit acceptance of these Terms, given before payment by ticking the acceptance box at the Review and confirm step or, for a booking Ara Travel prepares for the client, on the payment page of Ara Travel's website that Ara Travel sends the client. Ara Travel keeps a record of the version of these Terms the client accepted, the language in which it was shown and the time of acceptance, and gives the client a copy of that version on request. In the event of discrepancy between language versions, the Arabic text prevails.

Article 2. Definition of Services

Services include itinerary design, accommodation reservations, ground and air transport, guided excursions, and visa facilitation.

Article 3. Booking Eligibility

The client affirms legal capacity to enter into contracts and warrants that all information provided is true and complete.

Article 4. Booking Process

4.1 Online booking. The client chooses the service, its date and the number of guests, reviews the booking at the Review and confirm step, accepts these Terms under Article 1 and selects Confirm and pay, which concludes the booking and obliges the client to pay the amount shown. The client then pays the full amount by a payment method offered at checkout, unless the deposit and balance plan of paragraph 4.3 applies to the product. The booking is confirmed when Ara Travel has received the payment and confirmed the booking, which it does on receipt unless the payment needs a check by its staff. Until the payment is received, the seats are held for the period shown on the payment page. If the payment is not completed within that period, the hold ends. A payment received after the hold has ended confirms the booking if the seats are still available. Where a payment received cannot confirm the booking, Ara Travel informs the client and refunds that payment, with no deduction, under paragraph 6.6.

4.2 Booking on request. For a trip the client asks Ara Travel to arrange, the client submits a booking request and Ara Travel issues a price quotation valid for seven calendar days. The client accepts these Terms under Article 1 on the payment page and pays the amount due under the quotation, and the booking is confirmed as paragraph 4.1 provides.

4.3 Deposit and balance plan. Where Ara Travel applies this plan to a product, a deposit of thirty percent of the total is paid at booking and the balance is payable fourteen days before the start date of the trip, unless the product states other values before booking. If the booking is made after the balance due date, the full amount is paid at booking. The amounts and their due dates are shown at the Review and confirm step and in the booking document.

4.4 Unpaid balance. Ara Travel sends the client a reminder before the balance falls due. If the balance has not been received by the end of its due date, Ara Travel notifies the client and may cancel the booking. Such a cancellation is treated as a cancellation requested by the client on the due date, and Article 6 applies to the amount paid.

Article 5. Prices, Taxes, and Adjustments

Prices are quoted in Saudi Riyals. Where value added tax (VAT) is charged on a product, its prices include it at the rate shown with the price; otherwise the product states that no VAT is charged. The total shown at the Review and confirm step and in the booking document, including every fee and tax, is the total Ara Travel charges. Ara Travel claims no amount beyond the amounts set in the booking document, or in a new version of it issued, with the client's agreement and before any charge, for an amendment the client requests under Article 7 or a rescheduling the client chooses under Article 11(a).

Article 6. Cancellation and Refund Policy

6.1 The product's cancellation policy. Each product carries a cancellation policy, shown at the Review and confirm step and in the booking document. Unless the product shows another policy, the following table applies to a cancellation the client requests:

Notice is counted in calendar days from the date Ara Travel receives the request to the start date of the service, both dates taken in the local time of the place of the service. The booking document states the last date of each refund level that can apply to the booking. No refund is due under this table for a request made at or after the start of the service, or for a failure to attend. Where the product's policy states that the booking cannot be cancelled, no refund is due under this paragraph for a cancellation the client requests. A withdrawal of the client's consent to share the booking with the service provider, received before the provider has received the details it needs to deliver the service, counts as a cancellation the client requests, received when the withdrawal reaches Ara Travel. Paragraphs 6.2 to 6.5 apply in every case.

* The net amount is the amount paid less the non-refundable payment-gateway fee of 3% where the client paid by card, and the non-recoverable supplier charges, banking fees and foreign-exchange differences that Ara Travel incurred for the booking and can document. These costs are deducted only under this paragraph.

6.2 The statutory seven-day rescission. Under Article 13 of the E-Commerce Law, the client may rescind the contract within the seven days following the contract date, provided the service has not started or been used. The contract date is the date on which the client accepts these Terms under Article 1 and concludes the booking under Article 4; the period ends at the end of the seventh day after that date, Riyadh time, or when the service starts, if that is earlier. Ara Travel refunds the amount paid less the non-refundable payment-gateway fee of 3% where the client paid by card; an amount paid by bank transfer is refunded in full. This right does not apply to accommodation, transport or catering services, or to the organisation of events (Article 13(2)(e) of the Law; Article 11(d) of its Implementing Regulation). The booking document states whether the right applies to the booked product and, where it does, the last date and time to use it. Where this right applies, it prevails over the table in paragraph 6.1.

6.3 When Ara Travel cannot provide the service. If Ara Travel cancels a booked service, including a departure that does not reach its minimum number of participants, or cannot provide a booked service, for any reason, force majeure included (paragraph 6.5), it informs the client at once, and the client chooses either: (a) an immediate refund of the amounts paid, with no fee or cost deducted; or (b) an alternative service equal to or higher than the booked service, at no extra cost. For accommodation, Ara Travel refunds the amount paid with no deduction and, where the value of the unit at check-in is higher, also pays the client the difference; a move to an equal or better unit is at no cost to the client. Any statutory compensation remains due.

6.4 Delay by Ara Travel. If Ara Travel delays the service by more than fifteen days past the contract date or the agreed date, for a reason other than force majeure, the client may rescind the contract and recover the amount paid together with the other costs the delay caused (Article 14 of the E-Commerce Law). Ara Travel informs the client of any expected delay as soon as it knows of it.

6.5 Force majeure. Where a force-majeure event prevents a booked service, Ara Travel informs the client at once. The client chooses the remedies of paragraph 6.3 or, in their place, one of the options of Article 11. A full refund under Article 11(c) is the amount paid, with no deduction, issued immediately. The decisions of the Ministry of Tourism and the competent authorities on emergencies and force majeure prevail over this paragraph and over paragraph 6.3.

6.6 Refund method and period. Every refund of an amount paid is made only to the payment method used for the booking. An amount owed beyond the amount paid under paragraph 6.3 or 6.4 is paid by bank transfer to an account in the client's name within thirty days of the date of the decision to pay it. Ara Travel decides on a refund request within three days of receiving it, and completes the refund within thirty days of the date of the refund decision (Article 22(7) of the Travel and Tourism Services Regulation). A refund under paragraph 6.3 or 6.5 is issued immediately.

6.7 How to request a cancellation, a refund or an amendment. The client sends the request by a WhatsApp message or a call to Ara Travel's official number, +966 57 081 8008, or by email to info@aratravel.sa, giving the booking reference. A request is received at the moment it reaches Ara Travel: when the WhatsApp message or the email arrives, or when the call is placed to that number, whether or not it is answered at once. The booking document states how to make the request and, in the local time of the place of the service with Riyadh time beside it, the last date for each of these: the rescission, where it applies; each refund level that can apply to the booking; and a request to amend the booking until the start of the service, subject to availability under Article 7.

Article 7. Client‑Requested Modifications

Post‑confirmation changes are subject to availability and to any modification fees imposed by suppliers.

Article 8. Agency‑Initiated Modifications

Where an itinerary element cannot be provided as booked, paragraph 6.3 applies. Ara Travel may also propose, for operational reasons, to replace an itinerary element with an alternative of equal or higher standard; the replacement applies only if the client agrees to it, at no extra cost to the client, and is issued as a new version of the booking document.

Article 9. Insurance

The client must obtain travel insurance covering medical expenses and emergency evacuation for a minimum amount of SAR 100,000 per traveller.

Article 10. Client Obligations

The client shall:

1. Provide accurate and up‑to‑date information.
2. Comply with the laws and cultural norms of Saudi Arabia.
3. Behave courteously toward staff, suppliers, and other travellers.

Article 11. Force Majeure

Force majeure includes natural disasters, epidemics, governmental actions, and other events beyond reasonable control. Where a force‑majeure event affects the trip, the client may choose:
a) rescheduling, paying any seasonal rate increase or re‑booking fee;
b) a travel credit valid for eighteen months; or
c) a full refund.

In every case, Ara Travel complies with the decisions of the Ministry of Tourism and the competent authorities on emergencies and force majeure that affect its services, and those decisions prevail over this article.

Article 12. Limits of Liability

Ara Travel’s aggregate liability shall not exceed the total fees paid for the affected service. Ara Travel is not liable for indirect, consequential, punitive, or exemplary damages, including lost profits. This limitation does not apply in the case of death, personal injury, or gross negligence. Nor does it apply to the amounts owed under paragraphs 6.3 and 6.4, or to any statutory compensation.

Article 13. Indemnity

The client shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Ara Travel, its officers, employees, and agents from any claim, penalty, or loss (including reasonable attorney fees) arising from the client’s breach of these Terms, provision of inaccurate information, or violation of applicable laws or third‑party rights.

Article 14. Non‑Solicitation

The client shall not hire or solicit any Ara Travel employee or guide for a period of twelve months following the last day of service. Breach incurs liquidated damages equal to three months of the employee’s salary.

Article 15. Intellectual Property

All trademarks, content, images, and videos are the exclusive property of Ara Travel. The client receives a personal, non‑commercial licence; commercial use requires written permission.

Article 16. Reviews and Comments

The client agrees not to publish false or defamatory statements about Ara Travel. Any dispute shall follow the complaints procedure in Article 18 prior to public dissemination.

Article 17. Arbitration Option

Ara Travel may, at its discretion, refer any dispute not resolved amicably within thirty days to binding arbitration under the rules of the Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) in Jeddah. The arbitral award is final and enforceable.

Article 18. Complaints Procedure

A complaint may be made by a WhatsApp message or a call to Ara Travel's official number, +966 57 081 8008, or in writing to info@aratravel.sa. Ara Travel asks that a complaint be made within fourteen days of the event so that it can be investigated; a client who complains after that period forfeits no statutory right. Ara Travel gives its final answer within ten business days (Sunday to Thursday) of receiving the complaint and seeks a good-faith resolution before litigation or public commentary. A request to exercise a right over personal data follows the periods of the Privacy Policy. The client may also complain to the Ministry of Tourism through its official channels.

Article 19. Modifications

Ara Travel may amend these Terms. It publishes the version in force on the website with its version number and date, and keeps every earlier version. An amended version applies only to a booking for which the client accepts it under Article 1; a confirmed booking stays under the version the client accepted for it.

Article 20. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Commercial Courts in Jeddah have exclusive jurisdiction, unless arbitration is elected under Article 17.