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Riyadh Air Presents Features of its Future at Dubai Air Show

Riyadh Air, the new national air carrier wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, participated in the Dubai Airshow 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh Air, the new national air carrier wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, participated in the Dubai Airshow 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Riyadh Air Presents Features of its Future at Dubai Air Show

Riyadh Air, the new national air carrier wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, participated in the Dubai Airshow 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh Air, the new national air carrier wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, participated in the Dubai Airshow 2023. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Riyadh Air, the new national air carrier wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, participated in the Dubai Airshow 2023 last week, revealing two categories for the exterior design of its aircraft fleet and a set of strategic partnerships.
The Riyadh Air pavilion at the Dubai Airshow attracted thousands of visitors and a number of senior officials, as well as local and international media representatives.
The exhibition activities also witnessed the participation of officials from Riyadh Air in a number of discussion sessions that touched on topics that included air traffic, innovative technologies and the experiences of passengers, as well as sustainable practices and the means to attract talent in the aviation and air transport sector.
Commenting on the participation in the Dubai Airshow 2023, Riyadh Air CEO, Tony Douglas, said: “It has been an extraordinary week, as a digital start-up we want to disrupt the aviation industry and we have certainly done that at the Dubai Airshow.”
He continued: “Since our launch in March, we have made exceptional progress hitting a number of milestones and in Dubai we have continued to shape the future of air travel with our beautiful second livery with a unique iridescent shine unlike any other aircraft, again capturing the world’s attention and going viral across social channels.”
Douglas stressed that the strategic cooperation concluded by Riyadh Air with Saudia Airlines reflected their common desire to achieve the goals of developing the tourism and travel sector within the Kingdom.
He added: “Our alliance with Lucid Group is a clear reflection of our joint values around sustainably, digital thinking and obsessional attention to detail, while our Lufthansa Systems deal sees us adopt the gold standard of aviation systems. Over the coming weeks and months, we will be sharing more exciting updates, developments and milestones for Riyadh Air, as we continue the momentum and pace towards our maiden flight in 2025 and as the most forward-thinking carrier in the skies.”
Strategic partnerships
Riyadh Air and Saudia signed a memorandum of understanding for strategic cooperation, which will seek to enable guests of both carriers to take full advantage of each airline’s worldwide network through a comprehensive interline and codeshare agreement.
Another MoU was signed between Riyadh Air and Lucid Motors at the Dubai Airshow, marking the first innovative partnership between luxury EV manufacturer Lucid Group and Riyadh Air. The agreement comes in line with a shared vision for the future of sustainable transportation.
Riyadh Air also announced it had signed an agreement with Lufthansa Systems as a partner to mutually drive innovation in digitalization and sustainability. The agreement will see the implementation of an integrated suite from Lufthansa Systems helping unlock digital leadership in aviation sustainability.

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Revenue Growth, Improved Operational Efficiency Boost Profitability of Saudi Telecom Companies

A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
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Revenue Growth, Improved Operational Efficiency Boost Profitability of Saudi Telecom Companies

A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)

Telecommunications companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) achieved a 12.46 percent growth in their net profits, which reached SAR 4.07 billion ($1.09 billion) during the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 3.62 billion ($965 million) during the same period last year.

They also recorded a 4.76 percent growth in revenues during the same quarter, after achieving sales worth more than SAR 26.18 billion ($7 billion), compared to SAR 24.99 billion ($6.66 billion) in the same quarter of 2023.

The growth in the revenues and net profitability is the result of several factors, including the increase in sales volume and revenues, especially in the business sector and fifth generation services, as well as the decrease in operating expenses and the focus on improving operational efficiency, controlling costs, and moving towards investment in infrastructure.

The sector comprises four companies, three of which conclude their fiscal year in December: Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Mobily, and Zain Saudi Arabia. The fiscal year of Etihad Atheeb Telecommunications Company (GO) ends on March 31.

According to its financial results announced on Tadawul, Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) achieved a 33 percent growth rate of profits, bringing its profits to SAR 661 million by the end of the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 497 million during the same period in 2023. The company also achieved a 4.59 percent growth in revenues to reach SAR 4.47 billion, compared to SAR 4.27 billion in the same quarter of last year.

The Saudi Telecom Company achieved the highest net profits among the sector’s companies, at about SAR 3.304 billion in the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 3.008 billion in the same quarter of 2023. The company registered a growth of 4.52 percent in revenues.

On the other hand, the revenues of the Saudi Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain Saudi Arabia) increased by about 6.69 percent, as it recorded SAR 2.55 billion during the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 2.39 billion in the same period last year.

Commenting on the quarterly results of the sector’s companies, and the varying net profits, the head of asset management at Rassanah Capital, Thamer Al-Saeed, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Saudi Telecom Company remains the sector leader in terms of customer base expansion.

He also noted the continued efforts of Mobily and Zain to offer many diverse products and other services.

Financial advisor at the Arab Trader Mohammed Al-Maymouni said the financial results of telecom sector companies have maintained a steady growth, up to 12 percent, adding that Mobily witnessed strong progress compared to the rest of the companies, despite the great competition which affected its revenues.

He added that Zain was moving at a good pace and its revenues have improved during the second quarter of 2024. However, its profits were affected by an increase in the financing cost by SAR 26.5 million riyals and a rise in interest, while net income declined significantly compared to the previous year, during which the company made exceptional returns.