Saudi Airlines: Etihad and Qatar Airways expand in the kingdom with new Medina routes and click routes
Etihad and Qatar Airways are accelerating their expansion in Saudi Arabia, with new routes and increased frequencies in key destinations.
The twin developments highlight the region’s rapid growth in air connectivity and the State’s growing importance as a HUB for business, religious and leisure travel ahead of major global events.
Etihad expands Medina
Etihad Airways has launched flights from Abu Dhabi to Medina, and has expanded some of its strong footholds in the Kingdom and in developing segments of tourist travel in areas of religious, business, and leisure.
The direct service connects Abu Dhabi via Medina and will support the growing demand from pilgrims and travelers looking for a seamless connection to the Kingdom’s holy city.
Medina becomes the latest addition to Etihad’s operations in Saudi Arabia, cementing the UAE’s national carrier as a major facilitator of travel to and from the Kingdom.
With the launch of flights to Medina, Etihad will operate 93 flights per week to five Saudi cities – flying four times a day to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, and three times a week.
The expansion is part of Etihad’s ambitious growth plan, which has added 31 new destinations a year.
Antonoaldo Neves, CEO at Etihad Airways, said: “The launch of Medina demonstrates our commitment to strengthening connections from Abu Dhabi to Sudan.
“Through this new approach, we look forward to supporting religious travel and providing guests with greater access, choice and convenience at our home in Abu Dhabi.”
Etihad will operate five weekly flights to Medina using its Airbus A321 aircraft, increasing to six weekly flights later this year.
Qatar Airways adds hail and increases Jeddah, Riyadh flights
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways continues to deepen its Saudi network, with the Group CEO. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer announces the unveiling of new services during his panel discussion at the Tourism 2025 conference in Riyadh.
From January 5, 2026, the airline will launch three weekly flights to crush (they have), marking it as the 13th city in Saudi Arabia to be served by the carrier. Qatar Airways will also increase its Jeddah and Riyadh frequencies from six to seven flights.
Al-Meer said: “At Qatar Airways, we are proud to see our presence continue to grow in both dimensions in Saudi Arabia, and in the last 12 months, we have connected almost 2.5 million passengers in the Kingdom to our global network.
“This shows the level of loyal travelers in Saudi Arabia Place our flight and the prominence of our services in the Saudi market.”
Qatar Airways’ Footprint in Saudi Arabia will now cover 13 destinations, with more than 150 weekly flights, providing connections through more than 170 airports through Hamad International Airport.
Airlines Position for Saudi Tourism Boom
Both Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have expressed a long-term commitment to support aviation and tourism growth, in line with the broader economic diversification goals under vision 2030.
As Saudi Arabia continues to invest in infrastructure and Mega Projects – Neom, and the FIFA World Cup – the need for air communication across business, religions, and leisure is increasing.
