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First Two of Riyadh Air’s Custom-Built 787-9 Dreamliners Arrive in Saudi Arabia

The arrival of Riyadh Air's two aircraft marks a historic milestone in the company's journey towards launching its flights (SPA)
The arrival of Riyadh Air's two aircraft marks a historic milestone in the company's journey towards launching its flights (SPA)
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First Two of Riyadh Air’s Custom-Built 787-9 Dreamliners Arrive in Saudi Arabia

The arrival of Riyadh Air's two aircraft marks a historic milestone in the company's journey towards launching its flights (SPA)
The arrival of Riyadh Air's two aircraft marks a historic milestone in the company's journey towards launching its flights (SPA)

Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier and a company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has announced the arrival of its first two custom-built Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

The aircraft arrived in tandem on Friday at approximately 10 a.m. local time, receiving a water cannon salute upon touchdown.

The aircraft – using the call signs Riyadh 1 and Riyadh 2 and registered as HZ-RXAA and HZ-RXAB – are the first of Riyadh Air’s 72 state-of-the-art Dreamliners.

Their arrival marks the commencement of the carrier's broader strategy to expand its fleet to more than 180 narrow-body and wide-body aircraft.

Leveraging Saudi Arabia’s strategic location at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, Riyadh Air aims to connect the capital to over 100 global destinations by 2030, with plans to fly to nearly 20 destinations by the end of this year.

Commenting on the arrival, Riyadh Air CEO Tony Douglas said: “To see our very first custom-built Dreamliners touch down in Riyadh is a truly historic moment for us, and a momentous day for Saudi aviation as part of Vision 2030. I could not be more excited or more confident about the future and the legacy we are creating.”

“Not only are we building an airline, we are opening a new gateway to the world from the heart of the Kingdom. We are absolutely ready and excited to welcome the world to Riyadh,” he added.

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Business

Dammam Airports Company Wins Six International ACI Accreditations in Istanbul

King Fahd International Airport also secured accreditation for health and safety compliance - SPA
King Fahd International Airport also secured accreditation for health and safety compliance - SPA
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Dammam Airports Company Wins Six International ACI Accreditations in Istanbul

King Fahd International Airport also secured accreditation for health and safety compliance - SPA
King Fahd International Airport also secured accreditation for health and safety compliance - SPA

Dammam Airports Company achieved a significant milestone by receiving six international accreditations in accessibility, health and safety, and customer experience from Airports Council International (ACI) during the 2026 ACI World Airport Experience Summit in Istanbul.

Under accessibility benchmarks, King Fahd, Al-Ahsa, and Al Qaisumah international airports each earned level 1 accessibility accreditation, underscoring the operator's commitment to inclusive infrastructure and services for all traveler categories, SPA reported.

King Fahd International Airport also secured accreditation for health and safety compliance, verifying its operational readiness and adherence to global protective standards.

In customer experience, both Al-Ahsa and Al Qaisumah international airports received level 1 customer experience accreditation, highlighting ongoing upgrades to passenger journey touchpoints and overall service quality.

The recognitions demonstrate Dammam Airports Company's strategic alignment with global aviation best practices across its network, bolstering operational efficiency, safety, and regional connectivity in Eastern Region.

Business

US Diesel Prices Hit New High amid Iran War Disruption

Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at the Kinder Morgan terminal in Los Angeles (Reuters)
Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at the Kinder Morgan terminal in Los Angeles (Reuters)
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US Diesel Prices Hit New High amid Iran War Disruption

Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at the Kinder Morgan terminal in Los Angeles (Reuters)
Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at the Kinder Morgan terminal in Los Angeles (Reuters)

The price of diesel -- the vital fuel used for road hauling, agriculture and construction -- hit a new record in the United States on Friday, the AAA motorists' association said amid disruption from the US war with Iran.

The price is now $5.85 a gallon, up from $3.71 a year ago, the AAA said.

Because diesel is used for many freight and delivery networks, higher diesel prices mean higher transportation costs for a long list of everyday goods.

This could add to Republicans’ political challenges ahead of November’s midterm elections, with voters already sour on President Donald Trump’s management of the economy. AP-NORC polling this summer showed two out of three U.S. adults disapproved of how Trump is handling the economy.

More expensive fuel is increasing bills for businesses across sectors — some of which have already passed on costs to consumers in the form of added fees on online orders and packages in the mail. And shoppers may see more and more sticker shock trickle down to store shelves.

One of the most immediate strains is being felt in the grocery aisle, particularly with produce, meat and other perishable foods that need to be hauled in and restocked frequently — or even harvested using diesel-powered farm equipment. It can take time for all of those costs to trickle down.

Still, experts warn that price hikes could mount the longer diesel remains expensive. A range of other products are also transported by diesel trucks, trains and boats, including clothing, cosmetics, furniture and more.

The price for regular gasoline has also been going up, although not as fast as the price of diesel. The average price was $4.15 a gallon, compared with $3.20 at this time last year, according to AAA, which says gas has never been above $4 a gallon on Labor Day. Prices for regular gasoline, however, are far from the record of $5.02 a gallon set in June 2022.

Business

FAO: World Food Prices at Highest Since 2022 as Supply Risks Mount

A vendor loads coconuts into a cart to transport them by tricycle in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, 04 September 2026. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA
A vendor loads coconuts into a cart to transport them by tricycle in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, 04 September 2026. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA
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FAO: World Food Prices at Highest Since 2022 as Supply Risks Mount

A vendor loads coconuts into a cart to transport them by tricycle in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, 04 September 2026. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA
A vendor loads coconuts into a cart to transport them by tricycle in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, 04 September 2026. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA

World food prices rose in August to their highest since late 2022, as adverse weather and war disruption in the Gulf and Black Sea heightened concern over supply of staples, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization said on Friday.

Extreme heat and drought in Europe, the threat of a severe El Nino weather pattern and trade upheaval caused by the Ukraine and Iran wars have unsettled agricultural markets, pushing grain prices to three-year highs and sugar to a one-year ⁠peak.

The FAO Food ⁠Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in a basket of internationally traded food commodities, averaged 133.3 points in August, up from July's revised reading of 130.8.

That was the highest score since November 2022, though nearly 17% below a record peak from March 2022, ⁠after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"August’s increase in global food prices is a warning that the risk premium is returning to food markets: climate shocks, geopolitical tensions and disrupted trade logistics are converging to tighten supply expectations," FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero said in a statement, according to Reuters.

The FAO's price benchmarks for cereals, vegetable oils, sugar, meat and dairy all rose in August.

The extreme weather in Europe affected prospects for the maize and sugar beet ⁠harvests ⁠as well as livestock output, while the anticipated El Nino phenomenon fueled concerns for vegetable oil and sugar output, it said.

Escalating attacks in the Black Sea have curtailed grain shipments from Russia and Ukraine in their 4-1/2-year-old war, while the US-Iran conflict was still straining flows of fertilizer for crops.

In a separate report, the agency cut its 2026 global cereal production forecast by 3.4 million metric tons from July to 2.980 billion tons, now 2.0% below 2025, though still the second-largest harvest on record.