Flynas Announces 7 New Destinations, 4th Operations Base in Saudi Arabia

Madinah Airport. (Madinah Airport)
Madinah Airport. (Madinah Airport)
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Flynas Announces 7 New Destinations, 4th Operations Base in Saudi Arabia

Madinah Airport. (Madinah Airport)
Madinah Airport. (Madinah Airport)

Flynas, the national airline and the leading low-cost carrier in the Middle East and the world, added seven new routes to its network from its new operations base at Madinah Airport, starting December 2023.

Flynas is the only carrier with four operations bases across the Kingdom.

The new announcement comes within the Pilgrims Experience Program (PEP) objectives to facilitate access to the Two Holy Mosques and the National Civil Aviation Strategy.

It would enable national air carriers to contribute to connecting the Kingdom with 250 international destinations and to reach 330 million passengers and to attract 100 million tourists annually by 2030.

Managing Director of Tibah Airports Operations Company Sofiene Abdessalem recently signed a partnership agreement with CEO and Managing Director of flynas Bander al-Mohanna to launch the carrier’s newest operations base at Madinah Airport.

The base aims to diversify and increase international and domestic destinations to and from Madinah Airport. Flynas has three other operations centers in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.

The company will launch two domestic routes from Madinah to Abha and Tabuk and five international routes to Dubai, Amman, Baghdad, Istanbul, and Ankara to be operated alongside the other four existing routes from Madinah to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Cairo.

The additions will bring the number of routes operated by flynas from Madinah to 11.

Mohanna said the launch of the new operations center coincides with taking delivery of new aircraft to further upscale flynas fleet.

"The operations from our new operations base will start with two aircraft as a first stage, and we are planning to increase our operations and fleet size and to launch more destinations to achieve our strategy ‘We Connect the World to the Kingdom’," said Mohanna.

He noted that the company aims to enhance the guests' experience with direct flights to many destinations in and outside Saudi Arabia, creating new job opportunities and increasing Saudization in the Aviation industry.

Flynas connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations with more than 1,500 weekly flights and has flown more than 60 million passengers since its launch in 2007 to reach 165 domestic and global goals, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030.



Energy Fund to Boost Saudi-US Strategic Investments

Heads of companies investing in the energy fund (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Heads of companies investing in the energy fund (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Energy Fund to Boost Saudi-US Strategic Investments

Heads of companies investing in the energy fund (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Heads of companies investing in the energy fund (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A $5 billion energy investment fund was unveiled in Riyadh on Tuesday during the Saudi-US Investment Forum, held in conjunction with US President Donald Trump’s visit to the kingdom, in a move aimed at boosting bilateral partnerships and stabilizing the global energy sector.

The White House announced in a statement that the fund was among several key initiatives agreed during Trump’s visit, calling it a “historic step” toward deepening economic cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Scott Pruitt, who served as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), told Asharq Al-Awsat the fund will target strategic investments in the energy sector, focusing primarily on US-based companies.

These include firms supporting existing energy hubs and those developing transitional technologies to advance the global energy future and promote efficient manufacturing.

Pruitt said the fund aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, aiming to invest in companies that can benefit from the kingdom’s business environment while also supporting energy-related infrastructure, services, and manufacturing in the US.

The fund is expected to begin deploying its $5 billion capital in 2025, he added.

Strategic Investment in Energy

Neil Bush, chairman of Skytower Investments, a green technology investment firm, said the energy fund brings together experienced partners in fund management and energy investment.

He noted that it will play a critical role in directing strategic capital toward the future of global energy and efficient production.

The fund naturally targets the development of US infrastructure, bolstering America’s leadership in global energy markets and delivering strong returns to investors, Bush said.

Launched during President Trump’s visit, this initiative sends a strong signal of renewed economic momentum between Washington and Riyadh.

Saudi businessman Abdullah Al-Meleihi, CEO of Saudi Excellence Co., described the fund as more than a capital mechanism, calling it a “bridge of trust and ambition” between the two countries.

He emphasized Trump’s role in creating a climate conducive to innovation and opportunity.

Al-Meleihi said the fund is expected to be fully established and financed in 2025, characterizing it as a model of public-private cooperation and strategic alignment between the US and Saudi Arabia.

He noted that it enjoys robust support from the private sector in both countries as well as international investors, and will focus on energy, technology, artificial intelligence in energy, and advanced industries, while also facilitating knowledge transfer to the kingdom and capital investment in the US.