First there was Emirates. Then there was Qatar Airways. Then there was Etihad. Collectively, these carriers are known as the “ME3” or the three big Persian Gulf carriers that command dominance in the region. But knocking on the door is Saudia, an airline actively pursuing the size and prestige of its ME3 brethren.
Saudia, then called Saudi Arabian Airlines, was founded in 1945 thanks to a gift from then U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The 32nd President gifted King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, the founders and first monarch of present-day Saudi Arabai, a Douglas DC-3. The airline began operations in September 1945 with TWA running it under a management contract.
Today, the Saudia commercial fleet consists of 162 aircraft and offers service to destinations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States. And as the Kingdom looks beyond oil revenue, it sees a future in creating a hub much like Dubai or Doha that caters to international travelers from all over the world. Per Gulf News:
Economic reforms pushed by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman aim to lift total tourism spending in the kingdom — by local citizens as well as foreigners — to $46.6 billion (Dh171.1 billion) in 2020 from $27.9 billion in 2015, the government has said.
To that end, it has liberalized the commercial air market, allowing in more domestic competition. The result has been lower fares and a surge in traffic as flights increase while costs decrease.
While not providing specific numbers, Saudia reported that the number of transit passengers in 2018 was up 117% overall compared to 2017. Saudia’s fleet continues to grows, with plans to expand it beyond 200 aircraft by 2020. In the meantime, an overhaul of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah will make Saudia’s main hub more user-friendly and assemble to religious pilgrims and connecting passengers.
Look for more marketing in the months to come as well as a more liberalized visa regime (that has been rumored for over a year).
But How Is Saudia Onboard?
Ok, so Saudia may be growing, but is it worth flying? I’ve been able to fly Saudia in economy, business, and first class over the years and can report that Saudia is an airline I would not hesitate to fly. With one exception, the flying experience has been quite pleasant (see reviews below). With Jeddah and Riyadh airports improving, the ground experience will soon match the in-air experience.
Read My Saudia Reviews:
- FIRST CLASS
- BUSINESS CLASS
- ECONOMY CLASS
And it merits mentioning that my old boss Jaan Albrecht, former CEO of Star Alliance and Austrian Airlines, has been at the help of Saudia since 2017 and is responsible for many of the improvements we have seen.
CONCLUSION
This boils down to a question of money. Does the Kingdom have the will and the patience to try to create a massive global carrier? Will it avoid the mistakes of Etihad? It’s too early to tell, but keep a close eye on Saudia. Every airline may have grand aspirations, but Saudia’s are far more realistic than others.
image: Saudia
How much does being dry impede these efforts? I would think a lot…
I was thinking the exact same thing.
I’m “thirding” that comment and adding that I’d think Saudia Arabia’s current political climate and fairly/relatively strict adherence to many aspects of Sharia Law makes transiting the country or flying with them unappealing to many Western travelers. Without devolving into the whole “forcing cultural norms” debate, there is a reason the ME3 are able to thrive: they’ve adapted to include Western and Muslim sensitivities in their operations. Sharia-compliant airlines simply won’t make it on the world stage. Regional and small-scale-international like Royal Brunei? Maybe. But no, Saudia, you will not create an ME4 any time in the near future unless a whole lotta changes are made.
+1
I think more of an impediment is putting out a hit on a US resident journalist, having him brutally murdered and dismembered by a hit squad in a foreign embassy on the personal orders of MBS.
Google “smoking bone saw” if you don’t know what I’m referring to.
A country run by unapologetic murderers and thugs. No thanks.
Prestige? Saudia is full of perverts and rapists. Their female staff are under trained, severely underpaid, and have zero pride in their work.
How about that for a racist comment?
I’m not surprised though, racism is usually ok when it’s directed at Arabs.
If they can fix the visa issues that could be a game changer for them even with other challenges like being a dry airline and political relations to other countries like Israel.
They need the EXTRA EFFORT to train their Cabin Crews in Business Class to be the same Standard/Level as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Oman Air and Etihad. Right now they too far behind. Furthermore they are Dry Airlines. Big 4? I don’t think so.
I’d already put Turkish on par with the other “big 3” and they basically offer the same network.
+1!
There’s little doubt that Turkish is the one who will change the ME3 to the ME4. Saudia, given it’s adherence to Sharia Law and it’s government’s social policies, will be a tough sell to much of the world. And think about it this way: I’d very much enjoy a stopover in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Doha and to Istanbul to a lesser extent. There’s no way that I’d want to spend any time in Riyadh nor Jeddah. These are places where my kind is not welcome.
But I don’t get it. Part of Turkey is in Europe, part in Asia, but none in the Middle East. How can Turkey be considered a Gulf / ME airline?
For passengers traveling from the East, Turkish is a very compelling option and close competitor to the ME3. Istanbul is also around 3 hours closer to the East Coast of the US than UAE/Qatar are. I recently booked tickets from NYC to Lebanon and Turkish was the best option in terms of transit options/travel time/price.
Worse airline ever. Old planes and unprofessional staff. Rude staff. They think only by providing food they can retain the customers. I have stopped flying by Saudia Airlines.
I too would say Turkish are already the ME4 carrier.
Saudia will need to up its game considerably to match the existing competition and I agree with others that Saudi as a country needs to be more open and transparent.
My goodness people! Check your geography. Turkey is not in MiddleEast!!!!
I’ve been flying Saudia frequently in the past few years, being a Saudi citizen who lives abroad. Over the past 3 years, they have made some excellent changes to both their soft and hard products.
Their new planes (especially the B777s and B787s) are very comfortable and well maintained. They also added a new meal service on select flights called “bistro”, which I was impressed with.
That’s not to say that they’re anywhere near competing head to head with the ME3, they still have a lot of work to do to improve the passenger experience on the ground.
The new Jeddah airport is now operational for domestic flights and it should start operating international flights some time soon.
It being a dry airline is also challenging but I guess there’s nothing they can do about it.
Though what I find most interesting Is that they are targeting the East Asian and North African markets more than Europe and North America, they have expanded a lot in India and China particularly. This makes sense given the growing demand for this part of the world.
It’s sad to see that this what Saudia has come to unfortunately, it used to be the regions frontrunner airline in the eighties and early nineties.
But is it improving as an airline? Definitely. Will it compete directly with the ME3 any time soon? I’m not sure about that.
I’ll fly Saudia again on their inaugural Tel Aviv – Riyadh flight.
Don’t hold your breath!
ShortDog – I’ll be there with you but only if I can have a pre-departure champagne!
Who does your grammar and spell check?!? Please check before publishing for your own credibility.
Grammarly
I would never fly something the MBS has his hands or the royal family for that matter. Why on earth would you support such a country.
I’ve flown them often over the past 2 years. They were never a bad airline, but their food (though never bad) has still improved dramatically, and I think that on-board service has also gotten a bit better.
The new airport in Jeddah should help, as the current Jeddah airport is notoriously awful for transiting through. That said they still have a long road ahead of them, given how crowded the market is, especially given the rise of Turkish airlines. And, of course, the lack of alcohol and global perception of the country.