| Riyadh Air marks another milestone in an ambitious initiative to create a new international player that will propel the Saudi tourism market and services industry, further boosting the country’s non-oil economy. The new national carrier, which is fully owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), will leverage the kingdom’s strategic geographic location between the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe, positioning its headquarter Riyadh as a gateway to the world and a global destination for transportation, trade, and tourism.
The world class airline, equipped with the most advanced fleet and sustainable practices, is expected to add USD 200 billion to the non-oil GDP and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.
By 2030, the carrier will connect to 100 destinations, and serve as a catalyst for the Saudi National Transport and Logistics Strategy and the National Tourism Strategy by boosting air transport options, raising cargo capacity and international passenger traffic. The new initiative dovetails with the launch of a spate of mega tourism projects that include: the heritage site of AlUla, the multi-faceted NEOM sustainable development on the Red Sea coastline, the Red Sea Project, located between the coastal cities of Umluj and Al Wajh, and spanning 30,000 square kilometres.
A slew of projects aimed at revitalising and enhancing the capital city of Riyadh, including the historic Addir’iyah Development Program, Green Riyadh Project, Riyadh Art Project, and Sports Boulevard Project. The cultural and tourism buildout is in addition to the government’s efforts to attract global players to set up their regional headquarters in Riyadh. Together, these developments make a compelling case that would help the kingdom reach its target of attracting 100 million annual visitors by 2030 and raise the tourism sector’s GDP contribution by more than 10%, as set out in Saudi Vision 2030. | 
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