Qatar Airways will now fly to 11 cities in Saudi Arabia after resuming flights to Abha International Airport (AHB) on January 2, 2025.
The first flight landed after a Qatar Airways Airbus A320-200 departed Hamad International Airport (DOH) in the Qatari capital Doha just after 09:00, local time.
With the resumption of the new route Qatar Airways now flies to Abha, Alula, Dammam, Jeddah Abha, Medina, NEOM, Qassim, Riyadh, Tabuk, Taif and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia.
Qatar Airways will operate two weekly flights to Abha, departing Doha every Thursday and Saturday.
“We are delighted to resume flights to Abha, our 11th gateway in Saudi Arabia. With over 140 weekly flights, we connect more than 36,000 passengers weekly between Saudi Arabia and Doha. This highlights our commitment to enhancing connectivity, supporting tourism and strengthening economic and cultural ties between our two nations,” said Qatar Airways’ Group CEO, Mohammed Al-Meer.
Cluster 2 Airports Company CEO, Ali Masrahi, said that the new route was a “significant step forward in enhancing connectivity and promoting tourism in line with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030”.
“This initiative underscores a commitment to expanding air networks, fostering international cooperation, and achieving the ambitious goals set forth for the growth of the tourism and aviation sectors in Saudi Arabia,” said Mashari.
Qatar Airways highlighted that it began its services to Saudi Arabia with its inaugural flight to Jeddah on January 29, 1997.
“By connecting Abha to its extensive global network, Qatar Airways will offer business and leisure passengers from Aseer unparalleled travel experiences, award-winning services and seamless connection to over 170 destinations worldwide through Hamad International Airport, the World’s Best Airport as voted by Skytrax in 2024,” said a spokesperson for the Qatari flag carrier.