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Saudia Soars to 17th in Global Airline Rankings Amid Bold Transformation

A Saudia aircraft (Company’s website)
A Saudia aircraft (Company’s website)
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Saudia Soars to 17th in Global Airline Rankings Amid Bold Transformation

A Saudia aircraft (Company’s website)
A Saudia aircraft (Company’s website)

In a remarkable leap forward, Saudia has climbed to 17th place in the 2025 Skytrax ranking of the world’s best airlines, marking a significant improvement from its 82nd position in 2016.

The achievement comes as the global aviation sector grapples with mounting challenges, including supply chain disruptions, fluctuating demand, and the pressures of infrastructure development.

The milestone reflects the success of Saudia’s comprehensive transformation strategy aimed at strengthening its global standing and enhancing passenger experience. For the fourth consecutive year, the national carrier has also earned the title of the “World’s Most Improved Airline”, underscoring its sustained trajectory of growth and improvement.

Skytrax, a leading international airline and airport rating organization, bases its rankings on strict criteria, including both in-flight and ground service quality. Its annual awards are often referred to as the “Oscars of the aviation industry.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Eng. Abdullah Al-Shahrani, General Manager of Communication and official spokesperson for Saudia Group, confirmed that the airline is undergoing a sweeping upgrade of its fleet interiors.

A multi-year program to refurbish cabins in both Business and Economy classes is set to begin later this year and conclude by 2027.

In line with its push toward digital innovation, the airline has launched a pilot version of an AI-powered virtual assistant. This new platform is designed to streamline travel by integrating services such as bookings, hotel accommodations, ground transport, and entertainment.

Digital Transformation

Saudia’s transformation is not limited to passenger comfort. Al-Shahrani detailed a complete overhaul of the airline’s digital infrastructure, including instant booking for delayed or canceled flights, a digital wallet, and a reimagined booking, payment, and refund system. Most notably, refund processing times have been reduced from 40 days to under one minute.

Operationally, the airline continues to set high standards. In March 2025, Saudia recorded a 94.07% on-time arrival rate and 94% on-time departure rate, placing it among the top 10 most punctual carriers worldwide.

Strategic Growth Amid Global Challenges

Despite global and regional headwinds, including the need for large-scale infrastructure upgrades to host future mega-events such as Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup, Saudia is moving forward with bold expansion plans.

According to Al-Shahrani, the airline now operates flights to more than 145 international destinations, while positioning Jeddah as a major global air hub. This expansion is supported by the broader Saudia Group, which includes specialized subsidiaries in aircraft maintenance, training, and ground handling services.

As the Kingdom’s national carrier, Saudia plays a central role in advancing the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The airline is actively contributing to the National Aviation Strategy, which aims to attract 330 million visitors annually, serve 30 million Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, and connect Saudi Arabia to over 250 global destinations. Additionally, the plan targets 4.5 million tons in annual air cargo capacity by 2030.

Looking ahead, Saudia is embarking on one of the largest fleet expansions in its history. By 2032, the airline expects to receive more than 118 new aircraft, including 49 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Earlier this year, the carrier signed a landmark deal with Airbus to purchase 105 new A320neo aircraft, the largest such order in Saudi aviation history.

In April 2025, Saudia further bolstered its future capabilities with a new order for 20 wide-body Airbus A330neo aircraft, of which 10 will be operated by its low-cost subsidiary, Flyadeal.

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Business

Dar Global CEO: Saudi Arabia Emerges as One of the World’s Most Attractive Property Markets

Ziad El Chaar, Chief Executive Officer of Dar Global, attends an interview with Reuters, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
Ziad El Chaar, Chief Executive Officer of Dar Global, attends an interview with Reuters, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
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Dar Global CEO: Saudi Arabia Emerges as One of the World’s Most Attractive Property Markets

Ziad El Chaar, Chief Executive Officer of Dar Global, attends an interview with Reuters, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
Ziad El Chaar, Chief Executive Officer of Dar Global, attends an interview with Reuters, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

As global investors reassess their priorities, Saudi Arabia has firmly positioned itself as one of the world’s most attractive real estate markets and among the largest within the G20, according to Ziad El Chaar, CEO of Dar Global.

Annual real estate transactions in the Kingdom are approaching $100 billion, a scale that El Chaar says makes Saudi Arabia impossible to ignore over the coming decade.

“Any investor who overlooks the Saudi market in the next ten years will undoubtedly be a loser,” El Chaar told Asharq Al-Awsat, pointing to a market that consistently injects around $100 billion annually into real estate activity.

Beyond the numbers, El Chaar highlighted what he described as Saudi Arabia’s “proactive and forward-looking vision,” noting that the Kingdom has succeeded where many Western capitals have faltered.

By establishing a clear regulatory framework that distinguishes between local and foreign property ownership, Saudi Arabia has managed to protect domestic demand while simultaneously opening its doors to global capital.

This regulatory maturity, he said, prompted Dar Global to significantly expand its investment exposure in the Kingdom to SAR 38 billion (approximately $10 billion), through a series of exclusive developments branded with the Trump Organization.

El Chaar said Saudi Arabia now ranks among the largest real estate markets in the G20, driven by heavy infrastructure spending, the hosting of major international events, rapid growth in aviation and tourism, and investor-friendly policies. Together, these factors have made the Kingdom one of the most compelling real estate destinations worldwide.

He also praised Saudi Arabia’s regulatory foresight, particularly the zoning of areas for local versus foreign ownership and the introduction of minimum thresholds for foreign investment. He said these measures prevent market distortions and protect local buyers, an achievement that many Western economies have struggled to replicate.

El Chaar stressed the role of the General Real Estate Authority in organizing the sector and safeguarding investor interests, noting that while regulations may be stringent for developers, they provide long-term stability and fairness for all market participants.

Flagship Developments

Dar Global has recently launched several large-scale projects in Saudi Arabia in partnership with the Trump Organization, with a combined value of about SAR 38 billion.

El Chaar said the developments position the company as the largest non-government real estate developer in the Kingdom and reflect strong confidence in local demand, as well as the group’s ability to attract foreign investors.

The company is currently developing two projects in Riyadh and one in Jeddah. The CEO reiterated that any foreign real estate investor who fails to include Saudi Arabia in their portfolio over the next decade risks missing out on one of the world’s fastest-transforming economies.

Among Dar Global’s most prominent Riyadh projects is Saffar Valley, spanning 2.6 million square meters. The gated development will feature palaces only, surrounded by a Trump-branded golf course and a Trump Hotel, targeting an elite segment of global investors. El Chaar said the project stands out regionally for its scale, exclusivity, and prime location.

Jeddah Expansion

In Jeddah, Dar Global recently announced Trump Plaza, following the strong performance of Trump Tower Jeddah. The mixed-use project will be located on King Abdulaziz Road and will include Grade A offices, retail space, serviced apartments, and residential units overlooking a central park equivalent in size to a football field.

Timelines and Growth

Construction has already begun on the two main developments, with completion expected before 2030. Trump Tower Jeddah has entered the execution phase, with a main contractor appointed and delivery scheduled within 30 to 33 months.

El Chaar said Dar Global spent the past four and a half years building a strong institutional platform in the region, enabling its investment portfolio to grow from $7 billion last year to between $23 billion and $25 billion today. He added that the company’s move to the Premium segment of the London Stock Exchange enhances its eligibility for inclusion in major global indices.

On market capacity, El Chaar said domestic demand alone is sufficient to support Saudi real estate growth, while Dar Global’s specialized, high-end developments target a different segment and act as an additional magnet for foreign capital.

He concluded that Saudi Arabia’s cultural and regulatory transformation - from visa facilitation to tourism development and openness to foreign investment - has made the Kingdom one of the world’s most attractive destinations.

“Today, investors arrive in Saudi Arabia to a welcoming environment,” he said. “Small details, but they make a big difference in investment decisions.”

Business

Europeans Reeling as Trump Imposes Tariffs on 8 Countries Over Greenland Dispute

A woman uses a shovel to clear a footpath from now and ice on January 16, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland. (AFP)
A woman uses a shovel to clear a footpath from now and ice on January 16, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland. (AFP)
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Europeans Reeling as Trump Imposes Tariffs on 8 Countries Over Greenland Dispute

A woman uses a shovel to clear a footpath from now and ice on January 16, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland. (AFP)
A woman uses a shovel to clear a footpath from now and ice on January 16, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland. (AFP)

Europeans were reeling Sunday from US President Donald Trump's announcement that eight countries will face 10% tariff for opposing American control of Greenland.

The responses to Trump's decision on Saturday ranged from saying it risked “a dangerous downward spiral” to predicting that “China and Russia must be having a field day.”

Trump's threat sets up a potentially dangerous test of US partnerships in Europe. Several European countries have sent troops to Greenland in recent days, saying they are there for Arctic security training. Trump's announcement came Saturday as thousands of Greenlanders were wrapping up a protest outside the US Consulate in the capital, Nuuk.

The Republican president appeared to indicate that he was using the tariffs as leverage to force talks with Denmark and other European countries over the status of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark that he regards as critical to US national security. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face the tariff.

There are immediate questions about how the White House could try to implement the tariffs because the EU is a single economic zone in terms of trading, according to a European diplomat who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. It was unclear, too, how Trump could act under US law, though he could cite emergency economic powers that are currently subject to a US Supreme Court challenge.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said China and Russia will benefit from the divisions between the US and the Europe. She added in a post on social media: “If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity."

Trump's move also was panned domestically.

US Sen. Mark Kelly, a former US Navy pilot and Democrat who represents Arizona, posted that Trump’s threatened tariffs on US allies would make Americans “pay more to try to get territory we don’t need.”

“Troops from European countries are arriving in Greenland to defend the territory from us. Let that sink in,” he wrote on social media. “The damage this President is doing to our reputation and our relationships is growing, making us less safe. If something doesn’t change we will be on our own with adversaries and enemies in every direction.”

‘Risk a dangerous downward spiral’

Norway and the UK are not part of the 27-member EU, which operates as a single economic zone in terms of trading. It was not immediately clear if Trump's tariffs would impact the entire bloc. EU envoys scheduled emergency talks for Sunday evening to determine a potential response.

António Costa, president of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, pledged to continue their full solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.

“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” they wrote in a joint statement late Saturday.

The tariff announcement even drew blowback from Trump's populist allies in Europe.

Jordan Bardella, president of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party in France and also a European Parliament lawmaker, posted that the EU should suspend last year’s tariff deal with the US, describing Trump’s threats as “commercial blackmail.”

Trump also achieved the rare feat of uniting Britain’s main political parties, including the hard-right Reform UK party, all of whom criticized the tariff threat.

“We don’t always agree with the US government and in this case we certainly don’t. These tariffs will hurt us,” Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, a longtime champion and ally of Trump, wrote on social media. He stopped short of criticizing Trump's designs on Greenland.

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who leads the center-left Labour Party, said the tariffs announcement was “completely wrong” and his government would “be pursuing this directly with the US administration.”

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Norway are also expected to address the crisis Sunday in Oslo during a news conference.

Business

Egypt to Launch First Nationwide Aerial Survey of Mineral Wealth in 40 Years

Sisi during his meeting with the prime minister and the minister of petroleum on Saturday. (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi during his meeting with the prime minister and the minister of petroleum on Saturday. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt to Launch First Nationwide Aerial Survey of Mineral Wealth in 40 Years

Sisi during his meeting with the prime minister and the minister of petroleum on Saturday. (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi during his meeting with the prime minister and the minister of petroleum on Saturday. (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt is preparing to launch its first comprehensive nationwide aerial survey of mineral resources in four decades, scheduled for the first quarter of this year, the government announced on Saturday.

Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi said the survey aims to update geological data and establish a modern, integrated database to attract Arab and international investment in the mining sector.

Egypt has a diverse and extensive mineral base, both in terms of type and geographic distribution. Its resources include solid minerals such as coal found above phosphate formations in the Red Sea and New Valley governorates; radioactive materials such as uranium in the Eastern Desert and Sinai; metallic ores including iron; non-metallic minerals; and precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum.

The country possesses large quantities of raw materials used in chemical industries and fertilizers, as well as construction materials including granite, marble, white sand, and limestone.

Many of these resources are available in significant volumes and are already being exploited for domestic production and export, according to official investment data.

Saturday’s announcement was made during a meeting chaired by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, which reviewed recent developments in Egypt’s mining sector, the size of its geological reserves, and investment trends.

Presidential spokesperson Mohamed El-Shennawy said the meeting reviewed Badawi’s participation in the fifth International Mining Conference that was held in Riyadh from January 13-15.

During the conference, Egypt presented a package of legislative and regulatory reforms designed to improve the investment climate, including the adoption of globally competitive models for exploiting gold and other minerals, new incentives for international exploration companies, and simplified licensing procedures.

The meeting also addressed coordination between the ministries of petroleum, mineral resources, electricity, and renewable energy to secure Egypt’s natural gas needs, particularly during the summer.

Sisi stressed the importance of continuing to meet financial obligations to oil and gas companies operating in Egypt, saying this is essential to boosting domestic production.

He called for intensifying exploration activities, expanding incentives for investors in the oil, gas, and mining sectors, and accelerating field development in order to meet growing consumption and development needs and reinforce the country’s ambition to become a regional energy and gas trading hub.