Travelport, operator of the Galileo and Worldspan global distribution systems (GDS), announced that it has renewed its Worldspan distribution agreement in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia with travel technology service provider Stargate Cyber Active.

Under the multi-year agreement, Stargate will retain exclusive rights to distribute Worldspan technology and services to travel agencies in both countries, extending its existing partnership with the GDS provider from April 2010.

“Our relationship with Stargate in the UAE and Saudi Arabia dates back more than a decade and continues to move from strength to strength,” said Rabih Saab, Vice-President, Middle-East, Travelport. “They understand the technology and support requirements of our Worldspan customers and have a good track record of effectively distributing the product in these countries.”

Sean Van den Haute, President & CEO, Stargate Cyber Active, said: “By uniting the strength of Worldspan technology with Travelport’s extensive global network, we are well positioned to build our presence in the Middle East and offer travel suppliers a tangible, competitive advantage. We see great potential for Worldspan in the region and look forward to working even more closely with Travelport in the future.”

Worldspan, which was acquired by Travelport in 2007, is renowned for its e-commerce and Internet-based technologies, delivering some of the global travel industry’s most advanced web-based solutions. Its e-commerce leadership is also demonstrated through its powerful shopping and pricing tools, which are used by some of the world’s leading travel web sites and agencies.

Stargate is one of the largest distributors of Worldspan technology worldwide, serving the needs of Worldspan-connected travel agencies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, where it has also extended its distribution agreement with Travelport.