Riyadh Air to mark qualitative leap in tourism sector: Al-Khateeb

Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism

Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said that the new national carrier, Riyadh Air, represents a major breakthrough that will contribute as a qualitative leap in the tourism sector by increasing attractive tourist and investment opportunities in the Kingdom.

Riyadh Air will help achieve the Kingdom's goals of receiving 100 million tourists from across the world by 2030, Al-Khateeb said in a tweet.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced today, March 12, the establishment of the new national carrier, which is wholly owned by the sovereign wealth fund, Argaam reported.

The new carrier aligns with the PIF’s strategy to unlock the capabilities of the promising sectors that can help drive the diversification of the local economy. The airline is expected to add SAR 75 billion to non-oil GDP growth and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs.