The national airline of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saudia, will inaugurate more than 10 new routes in 2025.
The Double Hub Model
The airline is adding to an already large international network of more than 100 destinations. Most of the network is served from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s cultural capital. Still, some of the routes are being added to the carrier’s secondary hub, Riyadh. The latter is the country’s political capital and the future hub of the new airline in the making, Riyadhair.
Once the second Saudi national airline begins operations, a split in the business will most likely follow. The legacy Saudi airline will continue operations in Jeddah as the premium carrier serving cultural and religious inbound tourism and the growing local population opening up to the world. The newly established Riyadhair will concentrate on connecting the capital to the world, facilitating political and commercial connections.
The Magic Number
Following the successful marketing campaign of its local rival, Etihad Airways, Saudia engaged with its customers launching more than 10 routes in 2025.
The airline will add a significant number of short-haul routes including Larnaca (Cyprus), Heraklion (Greece), Antalya (Turkey), El Alamein (Egypt), Salalah (Oman), and Athens (Greece). All were added to the Jeddah hub, with Athens being added to Riyadh as well.
The Riyadh hub additions to Saudia’s network are concentrated in Europe. Five medium-haul routes launched from Riyadh include Malaga (Spain), Venice (Italy), Nice (France), and Vienna (Austria) with the latest being added to both hubs.
A cherry on top is the Denpasar route (Indonesia). The destination is growing in popularity, especially among Middle Eastern carriers. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world though, so the connection makes sense from both ends.
Saudia quotes 16% of passengers carried growth in 2024, a record-breaking year for the carrier. The airline is gearing up for another impactful year and that seems to be just the beginning. Saudia’s planned delivery of 118 new aircraft during the upcoming years will further increase the capability for growth. What remains to be seen is if any of the delivery slots are going to be transferred to Riyadhair.
Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, director general of Saudia Group, said: “Following last year’s operational success, we’ve implemented a strategic plan for 2025 to ensure continued excellence and meet rising international travel demand. Our destination selection is based on comprehensive feasibility studies and guest preferences. We are committed to providing our international guests with exceptional travel experiences that combine comfort, efficiency, and authentic Saudi hospitality.”
