Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Air Arabia-led group cleared to launch budget Saudi airline

thenationalnews.com · 18h · first reportShare

Saudi Arabian authorities have given the green light to a consortium led by the UAE's Air Arabia Group to launch a low-cost airline in the kingdom. The new airline is expected to serve 81 destinations – 24 domestic and 57 international – by 2030, the Sharjah-based carrier said in a statement on Monday. The group received an air operator certificate from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) to launch flights from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Air Arabia is joined in the consortium by Nesma Group and KUN Holding. The trio won the bid to establish and operate the new airline in July 2025. The unnamed carrier is expected to boost tourism in the Eastern Province and create more than 2,400 direct jobs. By 2030, it aims to operate 45 aircraft and carry about 10 million passengers annually. “The launch … will contribute to enhancing competition and improving performance in the air transport market, while supporting trade and tourism in the Eastern Province and creating n