About Us

The Story of Rihla

A name rooted in history, designed for the modern traveler

The Etymology

رِحْلَة (Riḥla)

Arabic: /ˈrɪħ.lah/

The word "Rihla" comes from the Arabic رِحْلَة (riḥla), meaning "journey," "voyage," or "travel." It is derived from the trilateral root ر-ح-ل (r-ḥ-l), which conveys the concept of departure, movement, and transition from one place to another.

Historical Significance

The term gained particular prominence through Ibn Battuta's famous 14th-century travelogue, "Riḥlat Ibn Baṭṭūṭa" (The Journey of Ibn Battuta), which documented his 30-year journey across the Islamic world and beyond. This masterwork became synonymous with the spirit of exploration and cultural discovery.

"Traveling—it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller."

— Ibn Battuta

Linguistic Journey

Classical Arabic

رِحْلَة (riḥla) - The act of departing on a journey

Modern Usage

Used across Arab nations to describe trips, voyages, and travels of all kinds

Cultural Context

Represents not just physical travel, but spiritual and intellectual journeys

رِحْلَة

The beauty of Arabic calligraphy embodies the elegance of journey itself

Why We Built Rihla

The Inspiration

We noticed that while flight tracking apps existed, none captured the poetry and beauty of travel itself. Every journey tells a story, and we wanted to create an app that honors that narrative—from the curved path of your flight to the cities you explore.

The Mission

Our mission is simple: make flight tracking beautiful, accessible, and completely free. No ads, no subscriptions, no compromises. Just a pure experience that respects your privacy while helping you cherish your travel memories.

The Vision

We envision a world where every traveler can effortlessly track their journeys, visualize their adventures on a beautiful map, and be inspired to explore new destinations—all while maintaining complete control over their data.

Our Values

The principles that guide everything we do

01

Privacy First

Your travel data belongs to you. We store everything locally on your device and only use your IP for necessary API calls.

02

Always Free

Beautiful design and powerful features shouldn't come with a price tag. Rihla will always be 100% free with no ads.

03

User-Centric Design

Every feature is designed with travelers in mind. We obsess over details to create the most intuitive experience possible.

04

Global Accessibility

Travel knows no boundaries. Rihla supports multiple languages and is available on both iOS and Android platforms.

Built with Passion

By travelers, for travelers

Rihla is crafted by a dedicated team of designers, developers, and travel enthusiasts who believe that technology should enhance—not complicate—the joy of exploration. Every line of code, every design decision, and every feature is infused with our love for travel and commitment to user experience.

We're constantly improving Rihla based on feedback from our global community of travelers. If you have ideas, suggestions, or just want to share your travel stories, we'd love to hear from you.