Ambition with a vision. By 2030, Saudi Arabia wants to diversify their economy through the development of key areas including tourism, infrastructure, and recreation. With this goal in mind and as the national flag carrier of the region, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) wants to do more than simply place the Kingdom on the map. With due preparation and expansion plans for the airline set in stone, the airline is all set and ready to encourage the world to experience Saudi Arabia.
In 2016, Saudi Arabia announced their commitment to Vision 2030, an endeavour to reduce their dependence on oil through the diversification of their economy. The answer? Full-fledged development of the tourism and aviation sectors. Now, emerging as a bustling travel destination while donning upgraded and new infrastructure, online visas, and heightened connectivity, the flourishing of these sectors is a goal in sight.
Yet, this vision also means more travellers to Saudi Arabia, which means SAUDIA Airlines, as a key player in the region’s aviation industry, has to transform to ensure they are well on their way to support this influx in tourism and passenger traffic. Considering how the Kingdom has recently emerged top within G20 in the flow rating of international tourists coming from abroad during the first seven months of 2022, the airline’s growth trajectory to support this welcomed rush of travellers to the Kingdom is truly well-positioned.
Exploring wider horizons has always been paramount to SAUDIA Airlines’ identity. Since its founding in 1945, the airline has enthusiastically embraced their identity as the integral leader of the Kingdom's gradual development of civil aviation. Appropriately, Saudi Arabia’s strategic location puts them well in place to transform and serve as a global hub to connect the three continents, Asia, Europe, and Africa, while allowing them to fill the role as an epicentre of economic trade and the gateway to the world.
What matters, however, is how SAUDIA Airlines is gearing up to enhance connectivity between Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world. SAUDIA Airlines comes in appropriately as this bridge and their rapidly expanding service network is proof of this. Beyond numbers, the airline is driven to extend their world-class guest experiences to more global cities to empower the Kingdom’s tourism horizon.
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| SAUDIA Airlines team in its early years |
Yet, the journey doesn’t end with simply bringing passengers from one destination to another.
Teeming with culture and heritage, the Kingdom is also embarking on a journey to show the world what it has to offer. Being the home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, AlUla and flaunting the fascinating architecture in key cities such as Riyadh barely scratches the surface of what Saudi Arabia has to offer. Beyond connecting the world to Saudi Arabia, SAUDIA Airlines also seeks to nurture the Kingdom’s flourishing tourism sector through exciting partnerships with key government entities and various organisations to present exciting events in the region such as the Formula E race and the international equestrian racing festival “The Saudi Cup”.
Beyond recreational travel, SAUDIA Airlines is also keen on supporting cultural and religious travel. Working towards the Kingdom’s aim of allowing the largest possible number of Muslims to perform Hajj and Umrah, the airline has also rolled out tailored initiatives to enrich the experience of travelling pilgrims. In-flight awareness programs through their entertainment system and direct luggage transfer services from the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah to Jeddah and Madinah airports all but scratch the surface of the extensive services they have to offer.
As they forage towards enhanced capacities and reach further and wider, SAUDIA Airlines is exuberant to support the Kingdom in welcoming more tourists to experience the rich culture and unexplored areas of Saudi Arabia.
