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Riyadh Air Announces Inaugural Flights to London on October 26, Unveils ‘Sfeer’ Loyalty Program

Starting October 26, Riyadh Air will operate daily flights between Riyadh and London Heathrow using its Boeing 787-9 aircraft, named “Jamila.” (SPA)
Starting October 26, Riyadh Air will operate daily flights between Riyadh and London Heathrow using its Boeing 787-9 aircraft, named “Jamila.” (SPA)
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Riyadh Air Announces Inaugural Flights to London on October 26, Unveils ‘Sfeer’ Loyalty Program

Starting October 26, Riyadh Air will operate daily flights between Riyadh and London Heathrow using its Boeing 787-9 aircraft, named “Jamila.” (SPA)
Starting October 26, Riyadh Air will operate daily flights between Riyadh and London Heathrow using its Boeing 787-9 aircraft, named “Jamila.” (SPA)

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier and a Public Investment Fund company, announced on Wednesday the launch of its first daily flights to London Heathrow Airport, starting October 26. The milestone marks a major step toward achieving full operational readiness and delivering world-class travel experiences.

The airline also unveiled its innovative loyalty program, “Sfeer,” designed to offer exclusive benefits to its early founding members and to redefine the future of loyalty in global aviation, said Riyadh Air in a statement.

Starting October 26, Riyadh Air will operate daily flights between Riyadh and London Heathrow using its Boeing 787-9 aircraft, named “Jamila,” currently serving as the airline’s technical spare. In the initial phase, tickets will be available for select passenger groups and Riyadh Air employees as part of a structured operational program to ensure full readiness ahead of receiving its first new aircraft from Boeing, while also utilizing its newly allocated operational slot at Heathrow Airport.

The inaugural flight RX401 will depart King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh at 3:15 a.m. and arrive at London Heathrow at 7:30 a.m. The return flight RX402 will depart London at 9:30 a.m. and arrive in Riyadh at 7:15 p.m.

This operational phase represents a key milestone in Riyadh Air’s journey, which will soon be followed by additional routes, including Dubai, underscoring the airline’s commitment to excellence. Through comprehensive evaluation of the initial “Jamila” flights, the airline is ensuring world-class readiness and service quality ahead of launching new destinations for the Winter 2025 and Summer 2026 seasons.

Commenting on the milestone, Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas said: “This is more than just the launch of a route, it is the realization of our vision to connect the Kingdom with the world as a driving force of Saudi Vision 2030.”

“Our commitment to begin operations in 2025 is now taking shape. This carefully planned flight program allows us to perfect every operational detail to ensure a seamless, reliable, and world-class travel experience. We are only steps away from full-scale operations, with more destination launches to be announced in the coming weeks,” he added.

Douglas sressed that the new “Sfeer” program combines the Arabic meaning of “Ambassador” with the English word “Sphere,” symbolizing global connection. “Sfeer” enables members to embody Saudi hospitality and represent Riyadh Air internationally. It introduces a unique, community-driven approach to loyalty programs that blends social engagement with innovative digital experiences, allowing members to explore the best of Saudi Arabia.

A distinctive feature of “Sfeer” is its ability to allow members to share Level Points with family and friends, helping them reach higher membership tiers together.

Registration is now open on Riyadh Air’s official website, where early registrants will be granted “Founding Member” status, gaining early access to bookings on Riyadh Air’s first flights and additional exclusive benefits to be announced soon.

The innovative design of “Sfeer” centers on community, enabling members to soon share their points, rewards, and qualified spending with family and friends, reflecting Saudi generosity and collective spirit. By 2026, once fully activated, “Sfeer” will introduce interactive digital challenges, leaderboards, and a “no points expiry” policy, representing a true embodiment of Saudi generosity.

Joining “Sfeer” today grants members immediate benefits and positions them at the forefront of Riyadh Air’s journey. Founding members will enjoy priority booking when commercial flights open for sale and exclusive invitations to special events and experiences.

Over the coming months, all members will have access to unique activities and partnerships with local and international entities, including culinary and entertainment experiences, and opportunities to win free flights and valuable prizes.

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Business

Russia’s LNG Exports up 8.6% in January to April, Data Shows

A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
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Russia’s LNG Exports up 8.6% in January to April, Data Shows

A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)
A general view of the liquefied natural gas plant operated by Sakhalin Energy at Prigorodnoye on the Pacific island of Sakhalin, Russia July 15, 2021. (Reuters)

Russia's ‌exports of liquefied natural gas rose 8.6% in January to April to 11.4 million metric tons from the same period last year due to supplies from the Arctic LNG 2 project, which reached 1 million tons in the first four months of the year, preliminary LSEG data ‌showed on Tuesday.

US ‌sanctions against Moscow over ‌the ⁠Ukraine conflict have restrained ⁠Russian LNG exports, particularly from the Arctic LNG 2 plant, where operations have been hindered owing to difficulty securing buyers.

In April alone, total Russian exports of LNG rose ⁠13.2% from a year ago to ‌2.92 million ‌tons.

Data also showed that Russian LNG ‌exports to Europe in January to April ‌jumped 20.8% year-on-year to 6.4 million tons. In April, they rose to around 1.6 million tons from 1.2 million tons ‌a year earlier.

In January, EU countries gave their final ⁠approval ⁠to ban Russian gas imports by late-2027.

Total exports from Novatek's Yamal LNG plant in the January to April period fell by 1.5% year-on-year to 6.5 million tons.

Asia-oriented Sakhalin-2, controlled by Gazprom, exported 3.7 million tons in the first four months of the year, up from 3.6 million tons during the same period last year.

Business

G7 Trade Ministers Set to Meet but Not Discuss Latest US Tariff Threat

Discussion of the repercussions of the Middle East war is expected to dominate an informal session on Tuesday. Ludovic MARIN / AFP/File
Discussion of the repercussions of the Middle East war is expected to dominate an informal session on Tuesday. Ludovic MARIN / AFP/File
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G7 Trade Ministers Set to Meet but Not Discuss Latest US Tariff Threat

Discussion of the repercussions of the Middle East war is expected to dominate an informal session on Tuesday. Ludovic MARIN / AFP/File
Discussion of the repercussions of the Middle East war is expected to dominate an informal session on Tuesday. Ludovic MARIN / AFP/File

G7 trade ministers are set to meet in Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss issues such as critical minerals and small packages but will not directly address the latest US threat to impose additional tariffs on European vehicles.

The second meeting of trade ministers under the French G7 presidency is taking place as the global economy has been upended by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil normally flows, said AFP.

Discussion of the repercussions of the Middle East war is expected to dominate an informal session on Tuesday, according to the office of France's junior trade minister Nicolas Forissier.

Meanwhile President Donald Trump's threat last Friday that he will hike US tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union will likely be addressed separately.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is expected to meet with EU Trade Commission Maros Sefcovic in the French capital.

They also have a meeting scheduled with Forissier and French Economy Minister Roland Lescure.

The US and EU struck a deal last summer to cap US tariffs on EU autos and parts at 15 percent, which is lower than the 25-percent duty that Trump imposed on many other trading partners.

In late March, EU lawmakers gave their green light to the bloc's tariff deal with Trump, but with conditions. It must still be approved by member countries.

"Our position for the moment is not to overreact," said Forissier's office.

"We will discuss it among Europeans when the time comes, but in any case not within the framework of the G7," it added.

"This agreement is useful and we must continue to implement it."

- Four priorities -

On Wednesday the trade ministers of the G7 nations (Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States) are expected to discuss the four priorities set by the group's French presidency.

The first is find a collective and effective response to industrial overcapacity that undermines free trade.

Even if the discussion doesn't formally target China, the country's subsidizing of certain sectors has created trade tensions for years.

A second priority is economic security, in particular securing and diversifying supplies of critical minerals that are indispensable in producing strategic products such as computer chips, electric vehicle batteries and super magnets.

France favors creating a system of groups of producing, processing and consuming nations that share a commitment to implementing good practices.

- Small parcels, big problem -

The ministers will also touch on the failure in March of the latest round of World Trade Organization negotiations, with the body's role as a trade referee having been paralyzed by the United States for years.

"The goal is for this organization to be better suited to current challenges," Forissier's office said.

The ministers will also discuss cross-border sales via e-commerce sites which have generated huge volumes of small parcels that escaped customs duties and posed unfair competition to local retailers.

The US last year suspended the tariff exemption on small parcels valued at less than $800 and the EU will this summer put in place a flat-rate customs duty on packages valued at under 150 euros.

The summit of G7 heads of state and government is scheduled for June 15 to 17 in the eastern town Evian along the shore of Lake Geneva.

Business

Egypt Aims for Self-Sufficiency in Wheat for Subsidized Bread in 2028, Minister Says

People are seen out at night in downtown Cairo on April 28, 2026. (AFP)
People are seen out at night in downtown Cairo on April 28, 2026. (AFP)
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Egypt Aims for Self-Sufficiency in Wheat for Subsidized Bread in 2028, Minister Says

People are seen out at night in downtown Cairo on April 28, 2026. (AFP)
People are seen out at night in downtown Cairo on April 28, 2026. (AFP)

Egypt, often the world's biggest wheat importer, aims to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat for its heavily subsidized bread in 2028, Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk told Reuters on Tuesday.

Egypt needs 8.6 ‌million metric ‌tons of wheat for ‌its subsidized ⁠bread scheme, according ⁠to the draft budget for the full year of 2026/27, but the minister declined to give an estimate for how much wheat the government needs to achieve its self-sufficiency target.

The date Farouk gave is ⁠one year later than originally intended, ‌as the country ‌had hoped it would achieve the target by ‌2027, the head of Future of ‌Egypt Agency for Sustainable Development, the government's exclusive grain importer, had said during a conference in May 2025.

The Egyptian government offers competitive prices ‌to local farmers to cultivate wheat.

This season, which began mid-April, the government ⁠intends to ⁠buy 5 million tons of local wheat, Farouk said.

Procurement has so far exceeded that of last year but is lagging behind the 2024 harvest.

As of Tuesday, the government had bought 1.39 million tons, up by 17% from 1.19 million tons in the same period last year, but down by 13% from 1.6 million tons in 2024, according to official data seen by Reuters.