From Egypt to Indonesia: These are the top destinations Saudi's are planning to visit this Founding Day weekend

Founding Day is just days away.

Celebrated on February 22 each year, Founding Day marks the establishment of the first Saudi state over three centuries ago by Imam Muhammad Bin Saud. One of just three non-religious national days in the calendar, this year the Founding Day holiday falls on a Thursday making for a long, three day weekend.

If you're anything like us, you will also be searching for a quick getaway. And with this in mind, according to travel platform, Skyscanner, international flight searches are up 71% versus the same period last year.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The eagerly anticipated Founding Day holiday has prompted Saudi travellers to explore a number of top international destinations, unveiling a plethora of sought-after locations.

The top ten international destinations searched by Saudi residents have been unveiled as:

1. Egypt 
2. India 
3. Turkey
4. UAE 
5. United Kingdom 
6. Morocco 
7. Thailand 
8. Italy 
9. France 
10. Indonesia  

However, despite an impressive increase in searches for international destinations, Skyscanner's data indicates a surge in searches for domestic tourism and local location, with Saudi Arabia ranking amongst the top 5 searched destinations by residents planning their trips for the Founding Day holidays.

From Venice to Rome and beyond, there is plenty to explore in Italy - not only do the Italians know good food, they also know how to do luxury hotels right. And, for anyone travelling to the UK this Founding Day break we have you covered right here with a local's guide to London.

For those travelling out of Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, the airport unveiled a number of futuristic sleeping capsules in September. The newly launched Wassan Lounge will elevate the relaxation options for tourists and travellers with a number of futuristic, sleeping pods, lined in a dormitory style. These compact sleeping pods are ideal for travellers with long layovers or experiencing delayed flights who might be hoping to relax or catch up on some sleep.

• 

• 

But if you're staying put in the Kingdom this Founding Day holiday, why not check out some of the nation's own indulgent escapes? Check out AlUla's brand-new Dar Tantora, a culturally inspired, luxury stay in the middle of Old Town. Or dive into a wildlife safari in Riyadh. There is plenty to still be discovered in Saudi.

@skyscanner