Etihad and Qatar Airways are accelerating their expansion in Saudi Arabia, with new routes and increased frequencies to key destinations.
The twin developments highlight the rapid growth of regional air connectivity and the Kingdom’s rising importance as a hub for business, religious, and leisure travel ahead of major global events.
Etihad expands into Medina
Etihad Airways has commenced flights from Abu Dhabi to Medina, further expanding its strong footprint in the Kingdom and enhancing travel options for guests across religious, business, and leisure segments.
The direct service connects Abu Dhabi with Medina and will support growing demand from pilgrims and travellers seeking seamless connections to the Kingdom’s holy city.
Medina becomes the latest addition to Etihad’s operations in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing 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 per day to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, and three times per week to Al Qassim.
This expansion forms part of Etihad’s ambitious growth strategy, which has added 31 new destinations in a year.
Antonoaldo Neves, CEO at Etihad Airways, said: “The launch of Medina reflects our commitment to strengthening connectivity from Abu Dhabi to Saudi Arabia, one of our most important markets. Medina carries profound cultural and spiritual significance for millions of people, and we are honoured to provide convenient travel through Abu Dhabi to this culturally and spiritually important city.
“With this new route, we look forward to supporting religious travel and providing guests with greater access, choice and convenience through 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 boosts Jeddah, Riyadh flights
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways continues to deepen its Saudi network, with Group CEO Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer announcing new service expansions during his panel discussion at the TOURISE Summit 2025 in Riyadh.
From January 5, 2026, the airline will launch three weekly flights to Hail (HAS), 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 daily flights.
Al-Meer said: “At Qatar Airways, we are proud to see our presence continually grow in both scale and significance across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our network now spans every major region of the Kingdom, and over the past 12 months, we have connected nearly 2.5 million passengers in the Kingdom to our global network.
“This is a reflection of the level of trust travellers in Saudi Arabia place in our airline and the excellence of our services across the Saudi market.”
Qatar Airways’ footprint in Saudi Arabia will now span 13 destinations, with more than 150 weekly flights, offering connections to over 170 global destinations through Hamad International Airport.
Airlines position for Saudi tourism boom
Both Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have outlined long-term commitments to supporting Saudi Arabia’s aviation and tourism growth, aligning with the Kingdom’s broader economic diversification goals under Vision 2030.
As Saudi Arabia continues to invest heavily in infrastructure and mega projects — including The Red Sea, NEOM, and the 2034 FIFA World Cup — demand for air connectivity across business, religious, and leisure segments is soaring.
