Saudi Arabia is to open up a new national airline, to be known as Riyadh Air.
Based at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, the airline hopes to grow to serve more than 100 destinations by 2030, and become the largest airline in the Middle East.
The airline will be led by Tony Douglas, a former CEO of Etihad Airways and chief executive of Abu Dhabi Airports Company, and Chief Executive of London Heathrow Airport.
Announced on March 12th by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (“PIF”), Riyadh Air “will leverage Saudi Arabia’s strategic geographic location between the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, enabling Riyadh to become a gateway to the world and a global destination for transportation, trade, and tourism.”
The new livery on @RiyadhAir's first 787-9 is "Chef's Kiss!" 🤏 Fresh out of the paint hangar, this beauty is ready to show the new airline's branding to the world! #RiyadhAir pic.twitter.com/jIwVwKW3qE
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) June 4, 2023
The intention is to grow the airline and Riyadh Airport to become major players in the Middle East, competing with rivals like Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines, and their respective hubs.
