Ranked as two of the best airlines in the world, Emirates and Qatar Airways are known for their luxury and high-end amenities. However, these two middle-easter carriers may face a competitor in the near future. Saudi Arabia is now working on launching a new national airline based out of the King Khalid International airport, in Riyadh. As Simple Flying has recently reported, the name of Saudi Arabia’s new national airline company will be “RIA”.
It is going to be the second Saudi Arabia airline company. Currently, the kingdom already has a flag carrier, Saudia, based out of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. However, the Middle Eastern kingdom announced that it is starting a new airline in June 2022 to boost its tourism.
“We are talking about a brand-new airline that aims to do what Emirates did in a quarter of the timescale,” sources told Arabian Business. The outlet added that the Kingdom plans to deliver the most ambitious airline company in the history of aviation.
According to reports by Simple Flying, Saudi Arabia will need to invest $30 billion. It also must create a network of over 150 routes around Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia if it wants to compete with companies like the multinational located in Dubai. Emirates, for instance, currently travels to 158 locations across 85 nations. Qatar Airways serves 169 international destinations in 82 countries.
Tourism
In June, Saudi Arabia announced its goal of attracting 100 million visitors by 2030. The government intends to diversify the oil-dependent economy and open up to the world.
The country has planned $810 billion of investments in culture, leisure and entertainment projects over the next decade. Called the Red Sea Project, the Kingdom works to turn the country into a luxury destination. The Public Investment Fund is backing the project.
